- Date
- August 9, 2009, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Martinsville, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N9023ZBrantly B-2B
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090809049149A
- Case key
- 74489
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 recovery during the autorotation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's delayed remedial action to abort the practice autorotation.
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 pilot was practicing solo 180-degree autorotations in preparation for a private pilot helicopter add-on rating. During the accident autorotation, the helicopter was in a left turn at an altitude of 500 feet above ground level(agl). The helicopter exited the turn "a little low and lost some rotor speed." While attempting to recover the low rotor speed, the pilot had to extend his glide path more than he anticipated due to approaching terrain and obstacles, which in turn slowed the forward airspeed. The pilot reported, "Of course I wish I had abandoned the auto at this point. I flared [the helicopter] but with high density altitude and the out of ground effect of the soybeans, I still entered the thick-drilled soybeans, which piled up on my right skid." The helicopter then rolled over and came to rest on its right side. Examination of the helicopter revealed the main rotor blades were destroyed and the fuselage was buckled. No mechanical anomalies were noted with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The pilot was practicing solo 180-degree autorotations in preparation for a private pilot helicopter add-on rating. During the accident autorotation, the helicopter was in a left turn at an altitude of 500 feet above ground level(agl). The helicopter exited the turn "a little low and lost some rotor speed." While attempting to recover the low rotor speed, the pilot had to extend his glide path more than he anticipated due to approaching terrain and obstacles, which in turn slowed the forward airspeed. The pilot reported, "Of course I wish I had abandoned the auto at this point. I flared [the helicopter] but with high density altitude and the out of ground effect of the soybeans, I still entered the thick-drilled soybeans, which piled up on my right skid." The helicopter then rolled over and came to rest on its right side. Examination of the helicopter revealed the main rotor blades were destroyed and the fuselage was buckled. No mechanical anomalies were noted with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9023Z
- Reported as
- Brantly B-2B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2021
- Airframe hours
- 523
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Mcdaniel Mark O
- Registered owner
- Mcdaniel Mark O
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 21, 2009
- Departed
- Martinsville, IN
- Destination
- Martinsville, IN
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2006
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 175 total · 80 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 31, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 365 KB in all.
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 N9023Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.