Brantly B-2B N2238U

Summary

On 15 August 1999 at about 19:00 local time, a Brantly B-2B registered N2238U was involved in an accident near Hudson, Michigan, 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.

Date

15 August 1999 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Hudson, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

41.8508, -84.3398

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

Jackson → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

CHI99LA292

Nobody was injured.

was an inadequate preflight and misjudged flare to landing during the autorotation by the pilot. A factor in this accident was a totally blocked fuel tank vent system.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said he was flying the helicopter about 1,000 feet above ground level when the engine began sputtering. He said the engine sputtered until the helicopter was 500 feet above the ground and '...then the engine quit.' The pilot said he flared too late during the autorotation and the helicopter's tail struck the ground. He said the helicopter rolled onto its side during the ground collision sequence. The on-scene investigation revealed no mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe that would prevent flight. Inspection of the fuel system revealed its vent line was plugged by a Mud Dauber Wasp. The fuel system does not have a vented cap. The fuel vent line is located on the bottom of the helicopter's fuselage and is visible to the pilot.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.