Brantly B-2B N2238U
8 March 2003 · Zelienople, Pennsylvania, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 8 March 2003 at about 16:30 local time, a Brantly B-2B registered N2238U was involved in an accident near Zelienople, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was 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.
The record
- Date
- at 16:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Zelienople, Pennsylvania, United States
- Nearest airport
- Zelienople Muni (8G7)
- Coordinates
- 40.8014, -80.1606
- Aircraft
- Brantly B-2B
- Registration
- N2238U
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- New Galilee → Zelienople
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC03LA063
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The failure of the tail rotor assembly due to improper maintenance by the owner/pilot.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
While hovering over a taxiway, the tail rotor assembly separated and the helicopter began to spin. The helicopter struck the ground and rolled over. Examination of the helicopter revealed that the separated tail rotor assembly and gearbox had the mounting portion of the top bulkhead ring still attached by the associated attachment bolts. Examination of the helicopter tail boom pylon revealed the top bulkhead ring attachment flange remained riveted in place. Chaffing damage was observed on the left and right side fracture surfaces, consistent with preexisting cracks. In addition, areas of corrosion were observed on the inner surface of the top bulkhead ring. The pilot did not posses a pilot or medical certificate. He reported 60 hours of total flight experience, all accumulated in the accident helicopter. The pilot stated he maintained the helicopter. He did not posses an FAA airframe or power plant certificate. According to maintenance records, the helicopter's most recent annual inspection was performed about 16 months prior to the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Brantly B-2B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 May 2003 | Brantly B-2B | Lantana, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Oct 2002 | Brantly B-2B | Vinson, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Apr 2004 | Brantly B-2B | Holliday, Texas, United States | Kevin Hines | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 May 2005 | Brantly B-2B | Lakeview, Michigan, United States | Doug Geesey | No injuries | - |
| 11 Feb 2001 | Brantly B-2B | Archer, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 24 Jul 2005 | Brantly B-2B | Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 2003 | Wells PITTS S1S | Duncannon, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 2003 | Cessna 205 | Jeannette, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 18 Jul 2003 | Cessna T210L | Quakertown, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 Nov 2003 | Cessna 182Q | Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Aug 2003 | Cessna 172E | Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania, United States | Lisa F. Reinhold | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 2003 | Hawker T MK 7A | Pittston, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |