20170625010849A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Brantly B-2 · St. Michael, AK · June 25, 2017

Date: June 25, 2017 · 12:00 local
Place: St. Michael, AK
Airport: St Michael
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5955X
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC17CA044
Reported as: Brantly B-2
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 480 total50 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N5955XRegistration cancelled Nov 29, 2019 · Brantly B-2S/N 96 Airframe modelBrantly B-2

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot was landing on tundra to refuel. He had slight forward momentum at touch down and the left skid slipped off the tussic and fell into a hole. The impact caused the front left skid support to buckle and the aircraft to tilt forward and left causing the rotor blades to hit the ground and separate from the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS LANDING ON TUNDRA TO REFUEL. HE HAD SLIGHT FORWARD MOMENTUM AT TOUCH DOWN AND THE LEFT SKID SLIPPED OFF THE TUSSIC AND FELL INTO A HOLE. THE IMPACT CAUSED THE FRONT LEFT SKID SUPPORT TO BUCKLE AND THE AIRCRAFT TO TILT FORWARD AND LEFT CAUSING THE ROTOR BLADES TO HIT THE GROUND AND SEPARATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC17CA044Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportSt. Michael, AKThe pilot’s inadequate supervision of the refueling process, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to water contamination in the helicopter’s fuel system from the fuel drum and subsequent impact with terrain.Jun 25, 2017 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N5955X · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19830416035679ATo Vertical (Helicopter Only) · Rogue River, ORLifted one skid off on an attempted takeoff. Helicopter rolled on its side. Indicates a dynamic rollover sequence.Apr 16, 1983 · Substantial damage