Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Winfield, Kansas 67156
Wednesday, April 19, 1995 16:30 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT STATED THE HELICOPTER WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT ABOUT 500 FEET AGL WHEN THE ENGINE RPM '...SUDDENLY AND RAPIDLY INCREASED AS IF THE ENGINE WAS ABRUPTLY UNLOADED...'. THE PILOT SAID HE AUTOROTATED TO A LANDING THAT WAS '...QUITE SMOOTH.' AFTER TOUCHING DOWN THE HELICOPTER SLID AND ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT SAID THE TOUCH DOWN FIELD WAS VERY MUDDY. AN EYE WITNESS SAID HE SAW THE HELICOPTER DESCEND VERY RAPIDLY THEN BOUNCE INTO THE AIR. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN A SECOND TIME IT ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER'S OVER-RUNNING CLUTCH HAD FAILED. EXAMINATION OF THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY REVEALED ITS SPRAGS AND THE INNER AND OUTER RACES WERE WORN BEYOND THE MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN LIMITATIONS. THE WORN PARTS ALLOWED THE CLUTCH TO GO OVER CENTER AND BECOME DISENGAGED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The total failure of the rotor drive system clutch assembly due to excessive wear of the clutch assembly. A factor in this accident was the soft ground in the emergency landing area.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/19/1995
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1630
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City WINFIELD
Event State KANSAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 67156
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1520 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 340
Weather Observation Facility ID ICT
Elevation of weather observation facility 1332
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 32
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 4200
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2900
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 8
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 350
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1020
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 20 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2139
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:12PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2198U
NTSB Number CHI95LA130
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Brantly Helicopter
Aircraft Model B-2B
Aircraft Series Identifier B-2B
Aircraft Serial Number 409
Certified Max Gross Weight 1670
Aircraft Category Helicopter
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection May 20 1994 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 32
Airframe Hours 963
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JOHN MACCONNELL
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3475 GRANADA AVE #346
Aircraft Owner City SANTA CLARA
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 95051
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Ferry
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code WLD
Departure City STROTHER
Departure State KS
Departure Country
Departure Time 1620
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code RLA
Destination City CEMENT CITY
Destination State OK
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --