Summary
On August 09, 2009, a Brantly B-2B (N9023Z) was involved in an incident near Martinsville, IN. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's improper recovery during the autorotation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's delayed remedial action to abort the practice autorotation.
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.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN09CA511. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N9023Z.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's improper recovery during the autorotation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's delayed remedial action to abort the practice autorotation.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
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.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN09CA511