- Date
- October 24, 1994, 15:07 local (20:07 UTC)
- Place
- Tomball, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2166UBrantly Helicopter B-2B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 18, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941024035629A
- Case key
- 19292
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
A partial power loss for undetermined reasons. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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
During takeoff climb the pilot sensed poor climb performance and realized he would not be able to clear power lines. Therefore, he performed a forced landing on the edge of a parking area after clearing a building, 'resulting in a hard landing and skid tube failure.' The cause for the poor climb performance was not determined.
Factual narrative
On October 24, 1994, at 1507 central daylight time, a Brantley B- 2B helicopter, N2166U, was substantially damaged during landing near Tomball, Texas. The aircraft, flown by an airline transport rated pilot, had just departed on what was to have been a local personal flight. There was no flight plan filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The solo pilot sustained no injuries.
According to a statement by the pilot, he was taking off and the aircraft seemed to "lose lift" and he elected to land. After clearing a building, the pilot set the aircraft down on the edge of a parking area, "resulting in a hard landing and skid tube failure." The helicopter subsequently rolled over.
There was no evidence of any mechanical problem related to the poor climb performance of the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2166U
- Reported as
- Brantly Helicopter B-2B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 328
- Airframe hours
- 1,077
- Engine
- Lycoming IVO-360-AIA, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hallett, Jackson B
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 200 in this make and model · 4,500 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DWH
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 N2166U · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.