Bell OH 58C accident near Verbena, Alabama, November 16, 2018
On November 16, 2018 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1970 Bell OH 58C (helicopter), registered N510CP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Verbena, Alabama. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper decision to conduct a low-level flight over a river, and his failure to see and avoid power lines, which resulted in the helicopter's impact with power lines and the water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 16, 2018 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Verbena, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell OH 58C No Series, built 1970 · all OH 58Cs on the register
- Registration
- N510CP · no longer on the register · serial 40734
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was repositioning the helicopter for routine maintenance with a passenger onboard. According to witness statements, the helicopter approached a river and flew over it at a low altitude. The helicopter then impacted power lines that spanned the river, descended, and came to rest in the water. Postaccident examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot was flying low over the river and did not see the power lines before the helicopter struck them.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,283 hours in all
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Passenger
- Certificate: student
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,123.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 7, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,745 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce M250 (turboshaft); 3,571 hours total
- Operator: Columbus Police Department
The flight
- Departed from: AUO Auburn AL
- Destination: 02A Clanton AL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from KSCD, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Pilot's Logbook | PDF, 19 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Wreckage Diagrams | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.