N288NS is a 1970 Bell OH-58A (rotorcraft) with serial number 70-15288, registered in Virden, IL. Its FAA registration is valid and runs until Mar 31, 2031; the renewal window opens on Sep 30, 2030. It is powered by an Allison T63 SERIES rated at 250 hp. Its airworthiness certificate is in the restricted class (agriculture and pest control, forest, other), issued Feb 24, 1999. It is one of 208 OH-58A aircraft in the FAA registry, 1 of them registered in Illinois. About 69% of them were built after it. The NTSB accident database lists 2 records for this airframe since 2008, the latest on Feb 19, 2020.
Registration
- FAA status
- Valid registration
- Expires
- Mar 31, 2031
- Registrant type
- LLC
- Registered owner
- MBC LEASING LLC
- Location
- Virden, IL
- Local FAA office (FSDO)
- Springfield FSDO (SPI FSDO) · (217) 744-1910
- Certificate issued
- Mar 1, 2024
- Last FAA action
- Mar 1, 2024
- Mode S code (hex)
- A2ECF0
- Mode S code (octal)
- 50566360
- Official record
- registry.faa.gov
Aircraft
- Manufacturer
- BELL
- Model
- OH-58A
- Year manufactured
- 1970
- Serial number
- 70-15288
- Aircraft type
- Rotorcraft
- Engine type
- Turbo-shaft
- Engine
- ALLISON T63 SERIES (250 hp)
- Engines / seats
- 1 / 4
- Weight class
- Up to 12,499 lb
- Airworthiness
- Restricted since Feb 24, 1999
- Approved operations
- Agriculture and pest control, Forest, Other
Public airports near Virden
| Airport | ID | Distance | Tower | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zelmer Memorial Airpark Inc Palmyra, IL | 5K1 | 13 mi | Non-towered | - |
| Taylorville Municipal Taylorville, IL | KTAZ | 24 mi | Non-towered | 100LL, A |
| Abraham Lincoln Capital Springfield, IL | KSPI | 24 mi | Towered | 100LL, A, J8 |
Straight-line distance from the registration city, from the FAA airport directory (NASR). The registry does not say where an aircraft is based.
NTSB accident and incident records
| Date | Place | Aircraft (as NTSB recorded it) | Damage | Highest injury | NTSB no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2020 | Colexico, CA | Bell OH 58A this airframe | Substantial | None | WPR20CA092 |
| Jul 22, 2016 | Lake Mills, IA | Bell OH 58A this airframe | Substantial | Minor | CEN16LA289 |
From the NTSB aviation accident database (events since 2008, data through Sep 29, 2026), matched by N-number. An N-number can move between aircraft, so each row is checked against the serial number on the current registration.