Brantly Helicopter B2B accident near Oakwood, Ohio, June 2, 1996
On June 2, 1996 at about 1:00 am local time, a Brantly Helicopter B2B, registered N2261U, was destroyed in an accident near Oakwood, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power due to inadequate maintenance and inspection by the owner/operator which failed to detect the clogged fuel vent line, and the pilot's improper autorotation. A related factor was the pilot's inadequate training/familiarization with helicopter emergency procedures.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 1996 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Oakwood, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Brantly Helicopter B2B
- Registration
- N2261U · no longer on the register · serial 423
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while he maneuvered during the approach to land, the helicopter experienced a total loss of engine power. When the power loss occurred, he '...nosed down and put the collective down...' to enter autorotation. He '...picked a spot [for landing] ... looked at the rotor RPM (RRPM), it was 320... [and] at 60 to 80 feet I pulled collective...' to begin deceleration. The helicopter struck the ground with a forward speed of 30 MPH with the tail skid striking the ground prior to the main gear. According to the pilot, the normal operating range for RRPM is 400-472 and that 400 RRPM was minimum for autorotation. The pilot did not possess a helicopter rating, but had received 5 to 6 hours of instruction in helicopters. He reported that he had flown 28 hours within the preceding six months, including 3 hours in the accident aircraft. Postaccident examination revealed that the fuel tank vent tube assembly was clogged with '...insect and nest remains... .' The most recent documented 100-hour maintenance inspection of the helicopter occurred on 5/18/70.
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: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 640 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 18, 1970; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VIO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 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.
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.