Bell OH 58 accident near Waitsburg, Washington, May 21, 2016
On May 21, 2016 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1970 Bell OH 58 (helicopter), registered N543SD, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Waitsburg, Washington. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power line during low reconnaissance flight, which resulted in a power line strike, loss of control, and a subsequent hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 2016 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Waitsburg, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell OH 58 C, built 1970 · all OH 58s on the register
- Registration
- N543SD · no longer on the register · serial 70-15543
- 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 reported that he was conducting a low reconnaissance flight prior to helicopter aerial application operations; during the low reconnaissance, the helicopter came in contact with a power line which caught on the left skid. The pilot further reported that, while under tension, a section of the power line "snapped" into the main rotor system resulting in a loss of control. Subsequently, the pilot performed an emergency autorotation to a wheat field which resulted in a hard landing followed by main rotor contact with and consequent separation of the tail boom. The fuselage and the tail boom were substantially damaged. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. As a safety recommendation, the pilot reported that a more thorough high reconnaissance flight prior to the low reconnaissance flight would have decreased the probability of this accident occurring.
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)
- Autorotation Attempted remediation/recovery
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,418 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 178 in the last 90 days; 95 in the last 30 days; 3,313 as pilot in command; 411 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 11, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,838.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 18, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 720 (turboshaft); 9,114 hours total
- Operator: Wilbur-Ellis CO
The flight
- Departed from: Waitsburg WA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KALW, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 26, 2016. 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 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | 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.