Brantly B-2B N9008H

Summary

On 12 October 2002 at about 14:45 local time, a Brantly B-2B registered N9008H was involved in an accident near Vinson, Oklahoma, 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

12 October 2002 at 14:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Vinson, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

34.9817, -99.8700

Aircraft

Brantly B-2B

Registration

N9008H

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Vernon → Canadian

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW03LA011

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions during cruise resulting in his failure to maintain control of the helicopter, and his failure to maintain rotor rpm. Contributing factors relating to the accident included the frontal activity associated with the adverse weather condition and the variable wind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After the helicopter leveled off at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds began moving in. The pilot climbed to 4,500 feet where clouds were now above and below him, preventing the pilot from locating his next checkpoint until there were breaks in the clouds. Approximately 56 miles into the flight and with the clouds thinning, the helicopter broke into a right turn. After turning back on course the helicopter began gaining altitude, then nosed over quickly, dropping approximately 1,000 feet. After leveling off back on course, the helicopter began gaining altitude again to 5,000 feet and began a smooth left-hand descending turn into a canyon. All attempted control inputs by the pilot were unresponsive. The helicopter was now traveling at a high rate of speed through the canyon, eventually coming to a quick stop to the right on a hill at the end of the canyon. As rotor rpm bled off the pilot attempted another control input by applying aft cyclic and left rudder pedal; however, the helicopter would not respond. The helicopter impacted terrain in a rapid spin to the left, coming to rest on its left side. Post-accident examination of the helicopter's flight controls revealed no anomalies which would have prevented normal operations. Approximately two hours prior to departure, a warm front was moving into the area of intended flight. At the time of the accident, weather observation facilities in the region reported winds gusting up to 31 knots with multilayered clouds.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.