Brantly Helicopter B-2 accident near Giddings, Texas, December 24, 1993
On December 24, 1993 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Brantly Helicopter B-2, registered N2111U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Giddings, Texas. 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 MAIN ROTOR RPM. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND DELAYED APPLICATION OF CARBURETOR WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 24, 1993 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Giddings, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Brantly Helicopter B-2
- Registration
- N2111U · no longer on the register · serial 157
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND THE PILOT OBSERVED THE CARBERATOR TEMPERATURE GUAGE INDICATING CAUTIONARY ZONE. HE APPLIED CABURETOR HEAT AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER. AFTER THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER THE PILOT ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION INTO THE WIND; HOWEVER, HE NOTICED POWER LINES AND WAS FORCED TO TURN TO AVOID THEM. THE NEW HEADING CAUSED THE HELICOPTER TO LAND WITH A QUATERING TAIL WIND. AS THE HELICOPTER REACHED 10 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND IT LOST MAIN ROTOR RPM AND LANDED HARD. DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE THE HELICOPTER BOUNCED AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,128 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 7,872 as pilot in command; 2,764 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 512 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 5, 1993; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGR Houston TX at 6:30 pm
- Destination: Burton TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from AUS, 30 miles away
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.