- Date
- October 1, 2006, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Arkansas City, KS
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5950XBrantly Helicopter B-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20061001020539A
- Case key
- 64631
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 failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff. A contributing factor was the low rotor RPM.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the pilot, during the attempted takeoff, he raised the collective and the helicopter "became light on its skids." The pilot verified the wind conditions based on his observation with nearby trees. The wind was observed to be "light" and from the south-southwest direction. The pilot initiated a turn into the direction of the wind, and prior to transitional lift, the rotor RPM dropped. The pilot attempted to recover the drop in rotor RPM by lowering the collective. The helicopter skids touched the terrain, and the helicopter rolled over on it's right side. The pilot stated, "I believe I got a wind gust that contributed to the low [rotor] RPM."
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during the attempted takeoff, he raised the collective and the helicopter "became light on its skids." The pilot verified the wind conditions based his observation with nearby trees. The wind was observed to be "light" and from the south-southwest direction. The pilot initiated a turn into the direction of the wind, and prior to transational lift, the rotor RPM dropped. The pilot attempted to recover the drop in rotor RPM by lowering the collective. The helicopter skids touched the terrain, and the helicopter rolled over on it's right side. The pilot stated, "I believe I got a wind gust that contributed to the low [rotor] RPM."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5950X
- Reported as
- Brantly Helicopter B-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 89
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-360-A1B, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John W. Read
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Arkansas City, KS
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 1,575 total · 275 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.