Brantly Helicopter B-2B accident near Winfield, Kansas, April 19, 1995
On April 19, 1995 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Brantly Helicopter B-2B, registered N2198U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winfield, Kansas. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total failure of the rotor drive system clutch assembly due to excessive wear of the clutch assembly. A factor in this accident was the soft ground in the emergency landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 1995 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Winfield, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Brantly Helicopter B-2B
- Registration
- N2198U · no longer on the register · serial 409
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THE HELICOPTER WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT ABOUT 500 FEET AGL WHEN THE ENGINE RPM '...SUDDENLY AND RAPIDLY INCREASED AS IF THE ENGINE WAS ABRUPTLY UNLOADED...'. THE PILOT SAID HE AUTOROTATED TO A LANDING THAT WAS '...QUITE SMOOTH.' AFTER TOUCHING DOWN THE HELICOPTER SLID AND ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT SAID THE TOUCH DOWN FIELD WAS VERY MUDDY. AN EYE WITNESS SAID HE SAW THE HELICOPTER DESCEND VERY RAPIDLY THEN BOUNCE INTO THE AIR. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN A SECOND TIME IT ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER'S OVER-RUNNING CLUTCH HAD FAILED. EXAMINATION OF THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY REVEALED ITS SPRAGS AND THE INNER AND OUTER RACES WERE WORN BEYOND THE MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN LIMITATIONS. THE WORN PARTS ALLOWED THE CLUTCH TO GO OVER CENTER AND BECOME DISENGAGED.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,700 hours in all; 122 in this make and model; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 963 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 20, 1994; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IVO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WLD Strother KS at 9:20 pm
- Destination: RLA Cement City OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,200 ft; scat at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:20 pm from ICT, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N2198U the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.