Brantly B 2B accident near Essex, Maryland, May 25, 2014
On May 25, 2014 at about 7:45 pm local time, a 2001 Brantly B 2B (helicopter), registered N9023Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Essex, Maryland. 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 pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control during landing resulting in a hard landing and a roll over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 2014 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Essex, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Brantly B 2B, built 2001 · all B 2Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9023Z · no longer on the register · serial 2021
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot during an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the purpose of the flight was to practice approaches and hovering. As the helicopter neared the ground, he pulled collective to enter a hover when it began to rotate clockwise. He was unable to stop the rotation and the helicopter made two full rotations prior to impacting the ground. The passenger reported that the helicopter impacted the ground "hard, but not too hard." The helicopter bounced, rolled over, and came to rest on the left side of the fuselage, which resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor blades, the fuselage, and tailboom. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. In addition, the pilot stated that the passenger was "ride[ing] along" on the flight controls.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Dynamic rollover during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 475 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTN Baltimore MD
- Destination: MTN Baltimore MD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N9023Z 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.