Brantly Helicopter B-2 accident near Houston, Texas, October 1, 1994
On October 1, 1994 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Brantly Helicopter B-2, registered N5996X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houston, 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 SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 1994 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas
- 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
- N5996X · registry record · serial 141
- 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 HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOLLOWED BY SURGES. THE PILOT ELECTED TO PERFORM A PRECAUTIONARY AUTOROTATION LANDING. DURING THE GROUND RUN THE AIRCRAFT LANDING SKID BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE VEGETATION, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TURN RIGHT AND ROLL OVER ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE REASON FOR THE PARTIAL POWER LOSS AND SURGES WAS NOT DETERMINED.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 7,800 as pilot in command; 4,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1994; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGR Sugarland TX at 9:45 pm
- Destination: SGR TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from IAH, 25 miles away
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.