What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 18, 2017 at about 1020 eastern daylight time, a Brantly B2-B helicopter, N2198U sustained substantial damage when it impacted a field and rolled on its side following loss of control. The accident occurred about one half mile north of us 41, two tenths mile west of cr n 500 w in benton county Indiana (40°42?07.50?n, 87°25?25?w). The pilot, the sole occupant, received only minor injuries. The helicopter was registered to and operated by privacy data omitted under the provisions of the 14 code of federal regulations as a part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed, and the pilot was not in communication contact with any other party. The pilot stated that he observed local weather broadcast for the current weather conditions and that the local forecast was for variable winds, southeast at 5 to 15 miles per hour (mph). METAR reports for klaf, 32 miles upwind from the accident site indicate the wind was 120 degrees at 8 knots at 0954 and 130 degrees at 14 knots, gusting TO22 knots at 1054.
The pilot stated that about 30 minutes prior to accident, he initiated a local flight from his farm property. He accomplished hover pattern work in a protected area surrounded by his house, truck equipment and out-buildings.
Following hover practice, he stated that he flew the helicopter from the protected area heading northwest. The pilot stated that the helicopter was approximately 25 to 30 feet above the ground (AGL), with 30 to 40 mph airspeed.
The accident site is approximately 800 feet northwest of the starting point. The pilot stated that he commenced a right turn, intending to return to his base. He stated that he chose to make a right turn as a right turn in this helicopter is easier to make than a left turn. As the turn progressed, the left quartering tailwind transitioned to a direct tailwind, then to a right quartering tailwind. After 120 degrees of turn, the right crosswind was at approximately 90 degrees. This right crosswind was a right turning force on the helicopter.
The pilot stated that after 120 degrees of turn he felt a high wind gust, from the right.
The anti-torque right turning force, the crosswind right turning force, and the added right wind gust exceeded the helicopter?s tail rotor effectivity.
The pilot stated that he was unable to stop the turn, that the helicopter descended, and due to the low altitude struck the ground. It rolled onto its left side. The main rotor head was torn from the transmission. All three main rotor blades were destroyed. The tail rotor shaft was deflected with one blade detached. The canopy was broken and detached from the fuselage. The tail cone was buckled at its midpoint. One skid was torn from the fuselage.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 18, 2017 AT ABOUT 1020 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BRANTLY B2-B HELICOPTER, N2198U SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACTED A FIELD AND ROLLED ON ITS SIDE FOLLOWING LOSS OF CONTROL. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT ONE HALF MILE NORTH OF US 41, TWO TENTHS MILE WEST OF CR N 500 W IN BENTON COUNTY INDIANA (40°42?07.50?N, 87°25?25?W). THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AS A PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED, AND THE PILOT WAS NOT IN COMMUNICATION CONTACT WITH ANY OTHER PARTY. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE OBSERVED LOCAL WEATHER BROADCAST FOR THE CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THAT THE LOCAL FORECAST WAS FOR VARIABLE WINDS, SOUTHEAST AT 5 TO 15 MILES PER HOUR (MPH). METAR REPORTS FOR KLAF, 32 MILES UPWIND FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE INDICATE THE WIND WAS 120 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS AT 0954 AND 130 DEGREES AT 14 KNOTS, GUSTING TO22 KNOTS AT 1054.
THE PILOT STATED THAT ABOUT 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO ACCIDENT, HE INITIATED A LOCAL FLIGHT FROM HIS FARM PROPERTY. HE ACCOMPLISHED HOVER PATTERN WORK IN A PROTECTED AREA SURROUNDED BY HIS HOUSE, TRUCK EQUIPMENT AND OUT-BUILDINGS.
FOLLOWING HOVER PRACTICE, HE STATED THAT HE FLEW THE HELICOPTER FROM THE PROTECTED AREA HEADING NORTHWEST. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND (AGL), WITH 30 TO 40 MPH AIRSPEED.
THE ACCIDENT SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET NORTHWEST OF THE STARTING POINT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE COMMENCED A RIGHT TURN, INTENDING TO RETURN TO HIS BASE. HE STATED THAT HE CHOSE TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AS A RIGHT TURN IN THIS HELICOPTER IS EASIER TO MAKE THAN A LEFT TURN. AS THE TURN PROGRESSED, THE LEFT QUARTERING TAILWIND TRANSITIONED TO A DIRECT TAILWIND, THEN TO A RIGHT QUARTERING TAILWIND. AFTER 120 DEGREES OF TURN, THE RIGHT CROSSWIND WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES. THIS RIGHT CROSSWIND WAS A RIGHT TURNING FORCE ON THE HELICOPTER.
THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER 120 DEGREES OF TURN HE FELT A HIGH WIND GUST, FROM THE RIGHT.
THE ANTI-TORQUE RIGHT TURNING FORCE, THE CROSSWIND RIGHT TURNING FORCE, AND THE ADDED RIGHT WIND GUST EXCEEDED THE HELICOPTER?S TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVITY.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE TURN, THAT THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED, AND DUE TO THE LOW ALTITUDE STRUCK THE GROUND. IT ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. THE MAIN ROTOR HEAD WAS TORN FROM THE TRANSMISSION. ALL THREE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE DESTROYED. THE TAIL ROTOR SHAFT WAS DEFLECTED WITH ONE BLADE DETACHED. THE CANOPY WAS BROKEN AND DETACHED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE TAIL CONE WAS BUCKLED AT ITS MIDPOINT. ONE SKID WAS TORN FROM THE FUSELAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N2198U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.