Brantly Helicopter B-2B accident near Sallisaw, Oklahoma, August 25, 1988
On August 25, 1988 at about 5:10 pm local time, a Brantly Helicopter B-2B, registered N2264U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sallisaw, Oklahoma (Sallisaw Muni 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 1988 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Sallisaw, Oklahoma · Sallisaw Muni · 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
- N2264U · registry record · serial 426
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING AND ROLLED OVER FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL IN A HOVER. PLT DELAYED CUTTING THE THROTTLE IN ORDER TO CLEAR A DITCH. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT COUPLING RETAINING SCREW HAD SEPARATED. THE SEPARATION ALLOWED A DISCONNECT IN THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT AND LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR DRIVE. THE REASON FOR THE SCREW FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. ACFT HAD JUST BEEN RETURNED TO SERVICE FOLLOWING EXTENSIVE REPAIRS FOR DAMAGE SUSTAINED IN A PREVIOUS HARD LANDING.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,740 hours in all; 22 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1,055 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,983 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 9, 1988; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VIO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2M3 at 5:05 pm
- Destination: 2M3
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from FSM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.