Schweizer 269C accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 27, 1998
On April 27, 1998 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Schweizer 269C (helicopter), registered N61193, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico (Fernando Luis Ribas Domi. 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 pilot's failure to adequately secure the cargo strap which became entangled in the tail rotor, leading to a loss of the tail rotor control. This was followed by an improperly executed emergency procedure and an in-flight collision with the ground. A factor was the inadequate procedure supplied by the manufacturer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 1998 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- San Juan, Puerto Rico · Fernando Luis Ribas Domi.
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N61193 · no longer on the register · serial S1593
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the FAA, the pilot had a cargo strap in an external basket which blew out of the container and wrapped around the tail rotor, damaging the pitch change links, and the 90 degree gearbox. The pilot attempted to hover during a run on landing, and the helicopter began spinning and impacted the ground. According to the pilot, he heard a bang, and then lost control of the anti-torque rotor pedals. Prior to touchdown, the helicopter yawed to the right, made a 360 degree turn, and impacted the ground. The Schweizer Aircraft Corp. Pilot's Flight Manual states that in the event of a tail rotor failure, a pilot should enter autorotation. The FAA's Advisory Circular 61-13B states that during the run on landing procedure, directional control should be maintained with cyclic control and by applying throttle to swing the nose to the right. One should not attempt to hover during a run on landing because it puts the helicopter at a high power setting. Autorotation should be used if the tail rotor failure occurs during a hover or if dangerous attitudes are incurred through the addition of power.
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: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 513 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 513 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 440 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 3, 1998; 440 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Ceiba PR at 12:45 pm
- Destination: SIG San Juan PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 5,400 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:05 pm from SJU, 4 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.
Other NTSB records under N61193 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.