Brantly Helicopter B-2B accident near Vinson, Oklahoma, October 12, 2002
On October 12, 2002 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Brantly Helicopter B-2B, registered N9008H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vinson, Oklahoma. 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 inadvertent flight into adverse weather conditions during cruise resulting in his failure to maintain control of the helicopter, and his failure to maintain rotor rpm. Contributing factors relating to the accident included the frontal activity associated with the adverse weather condition and the variable wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 12, 2002 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Vinson, Oklahoma · 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
- N9008H · registry record · serial 2017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After the helicopter leveled off at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds began moving in. The pilot climbed to 4,500 feet where clouds were now above and below him, preventing the pilot from locating his next checkpoint until there were breaks in the clouds. Approximately 56 miles into the flight and with the clouds thinning, the helicopter broke into a right turn. After turning back on course the helicopter began gaining altitude, then nosed over quickly, dropping approximately 1,000 feet. After leveling off back on course, the helicopter began gaining altitude again to 5,000 feet and began a smooth left-hand descending turn into a canyon. All attempted control inputs by the pilot were unresponsive. The helicopter was now traveling at a high rate of speed through the canyon, eventually coming to a quick stop to the right on a hill at the end of the canyon. As rotor rpm bled off the pilot attempted another control input by applying aft cyclic and left rudder pedal; however, the helicopter would not respond. The helicopter impacted terrain in a rapid spin to the left, coming to rest on its left side. Post-accident examination of the helicopter's flight controls revealed no anomalies which would have prevented normal operations. Approximately two hours prior to departure, a warm front was moving into the area of intended flight. At the time of the accident, weather observation facilities in the region reported winds gusting up to 31 knots with multilayered clouds.
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: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 260 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 215 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 48.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 23, 2002; 4.2 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: F05 Vernon TX at 1:50 pm
- Destination: HHF Canadian TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 200 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW03LA011.