Brantly B-2B N2198U

Summary

On 19 April 1995 at about 21:30 local time, a Brantly B-2B registered N2198U was involved in an accident near Winfield, Kansas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 April 1995 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Winfield, Kansas, United States

Coordinates

37.2595, -96.9603

Aircraft

Brantly B-2B

Registration

N2198U

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Strother → Cement City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI95LA130

Nobody was injured.

The total failure of the rotor drive system clutch assembly due to excessive wear of the clutch assembly. A factor in this accident was the soft ground in the emergency landing area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT STATED THE HELICOPTER WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT ABOUT 500 FEET AGL WHEN THE ENGINE RPM '...SUDDENLY AND RAPIDLY INCREASED AS IF THE ENGINE WAS ABRUPTLY UNLOADED...'. THE PILOT SAID HE AUTOROTATED TO A LANDING THAT WAS '...QUITE SMOOTH.' AFTER TOUCHING DOWN THE HELICOPTER SLID AND ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT SAID THE TOUCH DOWN FIELD WAS VERY MUDDY. AN EYE WITNESS SAID HE SAW THE HELICOPTER DESCEND VERY RAPIDLY THEN BOUNCE INTO THE AIR. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN A SECOND TIME IT ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER'S OVER-RUNNING CLUTCH HAD FAILED. EXAMINATION OF THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY REVEALED ITS SPRAGS AND THE INNER AND OUTER RACES WERE WORN BEYOND THE MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN LIMITATIONS. THE WORN PARTS ALLOWED THE CLUTCH TO GO OVER CENTER AND BECOME DISENGAGED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.