- Date
- November 20, 2008, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cedar Hill, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2180UBrantly B-2B
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 24, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20081120851899A
- Case key
- 69480
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper decision to takeoff downwind. A contributing factor was the gusty conditions.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The non-helicopter-rated pilot and passenger departed downwind for a local flight. Once above the surrounding obstacles, the helicopter began to settle. Unable to arrest the rate of decent, the pilot elected to land in an empty industrial park lot. The helicopter experienced a hard landing and rolled on to its side. The pilot and passenger were able to exit the helicopter unassisted. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if he would have observed the wind condition from an obstacle free area before departure. A weather reporting station 14 miles east of the accident site reported, wind from 360 degrees at 18 knots gusting to 23 knots.
Factual narrative
The non helicopter rated pilot and passenger departed downwind for a local flight. Once above the surrounding obstacles the helicopter began to settle. Unable to arrest the rate of decent, the pilot elected to land in an empty industrial park lot. The helicopter experienced a hard landing and rolled on to its side. The pilot and passenger were able to exit the helicopter unassisted. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if he would have observed the wind condition from an obstacle free area before departure. A weather reporting station 14 miles east of the accident site reported, wind from 360 degrees at 18 knots gusting to 23 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2180U
- Reported as
- Brantly B-2B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 342
- Engine
- Lycoming IVO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Inverted U S
- Registered owner
- Inverted U S
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Cedar Hill, TX
- Destination
- Cedar Hill, TX
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 27, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 83 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 18 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- LNC, 14 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N2180U · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.