Brantly Helicopter B-2B accident near Hudson, Michigan, August 15, 1999
On August 15, 1999 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Brantly Helicopter B-2B, registered N2238U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hudson, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
was an inadequate preflight and misjudged flare to landing during the autorotation by the pilot. A factor in this accident was a totally blocked fuel tank vent system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 1999 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hudson, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Brantly Helicopter B-2B
- Registration
- N2238U · registry record · serial 479
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he was flying the helicopter about 1,000 feet above ground level when the engine began sputtering. He said the engine sputtered until the helicopter was 500 feet above the ground and '...then the engine quit.' The pilot said he flared too late during the autorotation and the helicopter's tail struck the ground. He said the helicopter rolled onto its side during the ground collision sequence. The on-scene investigation revealed no mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe that would prevent flight. Inspection of the fuel system revealed its vent line was plugged by a Mud Dauber Wasp. The fuel system does not have a vented cap. The fuel vent line is located on the bottom of the helicopter's fuselage and is visible to the pilot.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 860 hours in all; 776 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 10, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IVO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RLA Jackson MI at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 160° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from JXN, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N2238U 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.