What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This aircraft accident investigation number CEN11LA067 involves the fatality of the owner of N2268U, serial number B2B-430-TC2H2-PC-204, a brantley B-2B helicopter certified in October 12, 1964, and resulted in the serious injuries of the passenger. At approximately 21:44GMT, or 15:44 CDT, N2268U was operated by the owner who held an FAA ATP certificate and commercial privileges with a rotorcraft helicopter rating. The passenger held a FAA private pilot certificate with a rotorcraft helicopter rating. Information provided by an eyewitness on the ground stated the two pilots performed a preflight inspection, and departed from a helipad located adjacent to the hangar on the west end of the grass runway running east and west. The owner occupied the right seat and the passenger was in the left seat. The takeoff was described by the eyewitness as abrupt. The helicopter took off to the east and did not climb high enough before it pitched forward and continued at full power dragging the skids across the ground. The helicopter impacted terrain in a nose low pitch attitude approximately 300 feet from the take off point. The helicopter came to rest inverted facing a northwesterly direction. The pilot in command was fatally injured due to the force of the impact. The passenger in the left seat was seriously injured, with a crushed vertebrae and additional life threatening injuries. The helicopter was substantially damaged by crash impact forces. There was no Post crash fire. The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's operation of the helicopter at a takeoff weight exceeding the gross weight limitation and a center of gravity forward of the weight and balance limitations. The accident site was located on the pilot's private airstrip located 14 miles east of Post, Texas. The terrain is hard packed dry clay and soil. The elevation was 2,303 feet above mean sea level. The density altitude was an estimated 3,000 feet at 16 degrees celsius and -6 degrees dew point and an atmospheric pressure of 29.86 inches of mercury which further degraded the takeoff performance of the helicopter. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed with few clouds at 15,000 feet and light northwesterly at 8 knots and were not contributing factors in this accident.
As the FAA filed it
THIS AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION NUMBER CEN11LA067 INVOLVES THE FATALITY OF THE OWNER OF N2268U, SERIAL NUMBER B2B-430-TC2H2-PC-204, A BRANTLEY B-2B HELICOPTER CERTIFIED IN OCTOBER 12, 1964, AND RESULTED IN THE SERIOUS INJURIES OF THE PASSENGER.AT APPROXIMATELY 21:44GMT, OR 15:44 CDT, N2268U WAS OPERATED BY THE OWNER WHO HELD AN FAA ATP CERTIFICATE AND COMMERCIAL PRIVILEGES WITH A ROTORCRAFT HELICOPTER RATING. THE PASSENGER HELD A FAA PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH A ROTORCRAFT HELICOPTER RATING. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY AN EYEWITNESS ON THE GROUND STATED THE TWO PILOTS PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, AND DEPARTED FROM A HELIPAD LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE HANGAR ON THE WEST END OF THE GRASS RUNWAY RUNNING EAST AND WEST. THE OWNER OCCUPIED THE RIGHT SEAT AND THE PASSENGER WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT. THE TAKEOFF WAS DESCRIBED BY THE EYEWITNESS AS ABRUPT. THE HELICOPTER TOOK OFF TO THE EAST AND DID NOT CLIMB HIGH ENOUGH BEFORE IT PITCHED FORWARD AND CONTINUED AT FULL POWER DRAGGING THE SKIDS ACROSS THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A NOSE LOW PITCH ATTITUDE APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET FROM THE TAKE OFF POINT. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST INVERTED FACING A NORTHWESTERLY DIRECTION. THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS FATALLY INJURED DUE TO THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT. THE PASSENGER IN THE LEFT SEAT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, WITH A CRUSHED VERTEBRAE AND ADDITIONAL LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BY CRASH IMPACT FORCES. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S OPERATION OF THE HELICOPTER AT A TAKEOFF WEIGHT EXCEEDING THE GROSS WEIGHT LIMITATION AND A CENTER OF GRAVITY FORWARD OF THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE LIMITATIONS. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED ON THE PILOT'S PRIVATE AIRSTRIP LOCATED 14 MILES EAST OF POST, TEXAS. THE TERRAIN IS HARD PACKED DRY CLAY AND SOIL. THE ELEVATION WAS 2,303 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS AN ESTIMATED 3,000 FEET AT 16 DEGREES CELSIUS AND -6 DEGREES DEW POINT AND AN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OF 29.86 INCHES OF MERCURY WHICH FURTHER DEGRADED THE TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE OF THE HELICOPTER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED WITH FEW CLOUDS AT 15,000 FEET AND LIGHT NORTHWESTERLY AT 8 KNOTS AND WERE NOT CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.