Bell OH58C accident near Gainesville, Florida, June 25, 2019
On June 25, 2019 at about 2:00 am local time, a 1970 Bell OH58C (helicopter), registered N911GV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Gainesville, Florida (Gainesville Rgnl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during a simulated forced landing autorotation, which resulted in pylon whirl that substantially damaged the helicopter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2019 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Gainesville, Florida · Gainesville Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell OH58C, built 1970 · all OH58Cs on the register
- Registration
- N911GV · no longer on the register · serial 70-15212
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an night instructional flight in a helicopter, the flight instructor was demonstrating a straight-in autorotation to landing following a simulated engine failure. At touchdown, the heels of the landing skids touched first and the helicopter “rocked” forward, which was followed by several more “throws” in a counterclockwise motion that became progressively more “violent.” The instructor described that the helicopter was experiencing pylon whirl and continued to manipulate the flight controls during the ground run until helicopter came to rest. The helicopter’s tailboom was substantially damaged during the accident sequence.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 327 hours in all; 327 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 293 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 23, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,788 hours in all; 3,602 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,444.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 23, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allsion 250-C20C (turboshaft); 2,011 hours total
- Operator: City Of Gainesville Police Dept
The flight
- Departed from: GNV Gainesville FL at 1:30 am
- Destination: GNV Gainesville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway Taxi, 4,785 ft by 40 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 am from KGNV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on May 26, 2022. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Report from Foreign Agencies | PDF, 20 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Technical Manual Excerpt | PDF, 4 pages | 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.