Aircraft Description
N444JB is a 1971 Bell OH-58A, a single-engine turbo-shaft aircraft registered to Air First LLC in Pembroke, NH. This aircraft holds a restricted airworthiness certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration on March 27, 1998. The registration certificate was issued on October 28, 1997. The registration is set to expire on July 31, 2028. Powered by a Allison 250-C20 SER engine producing 420 horsepower, N444JB is. The aircraft's Mode S transponder code is A55A43 (hex), used for ADS-B identification and flight tracking. The FAA registry record for N444JB was last updated on May 26, 2023. AviatorDB monitors aircraft positions through ADS-B surveillance data and updates records as new position data is received.
Bell, a Textron company headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a leading manufacturer of rotorcraft. From the iconic Bell 206 JetRanger to the Bell 505 and 525, Bell helicopters serve civil, military, and commercial helicopter markets worldwide. AviatorDB tracks 4,083 Bell aircraft currently registered in the FAA database, including the OH-58A model.
AviatorDB has found no NTSB accident or incident reports involving N444JB. AviatorDB cross-references all FAA registration data with NTSB accident and incident reports, providing a comprehensive safety overview for every registered aircraft in the United States.
Registered Owner
Powerplant & Avionics
NTSB Accident History (2)
| Date | NTSB # | Damage | Highest Injury | Probable Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 2002 | IAD02LA094 | Substantial | Fatal | The pilot's failure to center the sling load prior to commencing forward flight. Also causal, was the pilot's improper decision to attempt a takeoff with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in an engine compressor stall. |
| Jul 1, 1996 | NYC96LA135 | Substantial | None | The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during an aerial application maneuver. This put the helicopter in a low slow down wind, high power demand turn, where it encountered a loss of tail rotor effectiveness, and the subsequent collision with the marsh. |
The pilot's failure to center the sling load prior to commencing forward flight. Also causal, was the pilot's improper decision to attempt a takeoff with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in an engine compressor stall.
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during an aerial application maneuver. This put the helicopter in a low slow down wind, high power demand turn, where it encountered a loss of tail rotor effectiveness, and the subsequent collision with the marsh.
Additional Details
Data Source
Data provided by the US Federal Aviation Administration. View on FAA.gov
Last updated: 2026-05-01 01:32:20 UTC