Brantly Helicopter B2 accident near Vernon, Texas, March 19, 2007
On March 19, 2007 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Brantly Helicopter B2, registered N5931X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vernon, Texas (Wilbarger County Airport). It was a personal 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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 2007 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Vernon, Texas · Wilbarger County Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Brantly Helicopter B2
- Registration
- N5931X · registry record · serial 69
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 3,696-hour pilot, who reported having accumulated a total of 96 hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter, reported that while returning to the airport, following a short local flight, the engine lost power without warning. The pilot reported that the helicopter was at an altitude of approximately 75-feet above the ground when the loss of engine power occurred. The pilot added that he initiated an autorotation and due to his altitude, he did not have many forced landing options other than to continue straight ahead. The helicopter came to rest in the upright position in a field among mesquite trees. All three main rotor blades were destroyed and the fuselage sustained minor damage. Both the pilot and his passenger egressed the helicopter through the side doors without injuries. The helicopter was reported to have 15 gallons of fuel on board prior to its departure on the 15-minute flight. The reason for the reported loss of engine power could not be determined. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported that the aircraft had been stored in a hangar with the airworthiness certificate removed for approximately 30 years prior to its re-issuance on February 15, 2007. The 1969 model helicopter was reported to have accumulated a total of 570 hours since new. Weather was reported as clear skies, wind from 200 degrees at 16 knots, and an altimeter setting of 29.90 inches of Mercury.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,696 hours in all; 96 in this make and model; 280 in the last 90 days; 2,080 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 570 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F05 Vernon TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 3:05 pm from F05
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.
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.