Garlick Helicopters INC OH-58A+ accident near Oakland, Florida, April 26, 2022
On April 26, 2022 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1973 Garlick Helicopters INC OH-58A+, registered N281SP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Oakland, Florida. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to continue the low-altitude aerial application flight over water conditions that degraded his depth perception, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with the water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 2022 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Oakland, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Garlick Helicopters INC OH-58A+ NO SERIES, built 1973 · all OH-58A+s on the register
- Registration
- N281SP · registry record · serial 73-21912
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the helicopter was performing aerial application operations and had sprayed one load early that morning, then returned for his second load. While on the ground, operations were halted because another company helicopter had crashed into the water they were conducting operations over. Following that accident, a safety briefing was held with the pilots, and they were instructed to maintain constant communications with the loader truck. They resumed spray operations and later that afternoon the pilot noted that it was difficult to judge his height above the water and advised another company pilot via radio of that fact. He further described that the water was “like a mirror,” which hampered his depth perception. Later that evening, during a final application pass while he was looking down at the GPS, the helicopter impacted the water. The helicopter’s fuselage, main, and tail rotor blades were substantially damaged during the impact. Following the accident the pilot indicated that there were no mechanical deficiencies of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Visual illusion/disorientation › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,835 hours in all; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 16,835 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 3, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,041 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 22, 2022; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce T63-A-720 (turboshaft); 67,185 hours total
- Operator: Coastal Air Service INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KORL, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KORL 262253Z 10011KT 10SM CLR 28/17 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP184 T02780167
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on October 10, 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 | NTSB Record of Conversation | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | 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.