# NTSB ERA14CA259: Brantly B 2B, N9023Z, Essex, MD, May 25, 2014 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: May 25, 2014, 15:45 local (19:45 UTC) - Place: Essex, MD - Coordinates: 39.250278, -76.362503 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2503&lon=-76.3625&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 2, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 89272 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA14CA259 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/89272/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89272 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14CA259 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control during landing resulting in a hard landing and a roll over. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Brantly B-2B, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=1440506), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Brantly B-2B, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=1440506), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Brantly B-2B, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=1440506), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092); cases with it: [Brantly B-2B, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=1440506), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Dynamic rollover](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/231); cases with it: [Brantly B-2B, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/231/sequence.md?model=1440506), [All aircraft, 161 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/231/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the pilot during an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the purpose of the flight was to practice approaches and hovering. As the helicopter neared the ground, he pulled collective to enter a hover when it began to rotate clockwise. He was unable to stop the rotation and the helicopter made two full rotations prior to impacting the ground. The passenger reported that the helicopter impacted the ground "hard, but not too hard." The helicopter bounced, rolled over, and came to rest on the left side of the fuselage, which resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor blades, the fuselage, and tailboom. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. In addition, the pilot stated that the passenger was "ride[ing] along" on the flight controls. ## Factual narrative According to the pilot during an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the purpose of the flight was to practice approaches and hovering. As the helicopter neared the ground, he pulled collective to enter a hover when it began to rotate clockwise. He was unable to stop the rotation and the helicopter made two full rotations prior to impacting the ground. The passenger reported that the helicopter impacted the ground "hard, but not too hard." The helicopter bounced, rolled over, and came to rest on the left side of the fuselage, which resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor blades, the fuselage, and tailboom. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. In addition, the pilot stated that the passenger was "ride[ing] along" on the flight controls. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9023Z](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9023Z-2018-06-08), registration cancelled 2018-06-08, S/N 2021, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BRANTLY B 2B - Registry model: [Brantly B-2B](https://openairdocs.org/model/brantly-b-2b) (registry code 1440506) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360-A1A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-a1a) (registry code 41594, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 2021 - Year built: 2001 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A1A reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Mark A. Kukucka - Registered owner: Mark A. Kukucka - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: MTN, BALTIMORE, MD - Destination: MTN, BALTIMORE, MD ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 53; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, unknown; seat: right; flight hours: 475 total, 10 in this make and model, 16 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Observed at: MTN ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20140525008899A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140525008899A), May 25, 2014: Brantly B-2B, Hart Miller Isl, MD, Substantial damage. After a thorough preflight, [privacy data omitted] and his passenger [privacy data omitted] departed martin state airport (kmtn). [privacy data omitted] Is not… ## Other investigations on N9023Z (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN09CA511](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09CA511), Aug 9, 2009: Brantly B-2B (N9023Z), Martinsville, IN, substantial damage. 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. ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89272. 3.7 MB in all. - FAA Inspector's Statement (item 1, .PDF, 34 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415258&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Brantly Helicopter Report (item 2, .PDF, 43 photos, 3.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415259&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Brantly%20Helicopter%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Weather Observations (item 3, .PDF, 38 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40415260&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Observations-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.