Schweizer 269C accident near Englewood, Colorado, October 16, 2010
On October 16, 2010 at about 4:35 pm local time, a Schweizer 269C (helicopter), registered N20130, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Englewood, Colorado (Centennial Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the helicopter during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 2010 · about 4:35 pm local time
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · Centennial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N20130 · no longer on the register · serial S1786
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was landing the helicopter in a field on his third solo landing of the day. During landing, the helicopter began to yaw and he added engine power in an attempt to correct. The helicopter began to spin and after two to three 360-degree rotations, the student pilot reduced collective input and reduced the engine throttle in an attempt to perform an autorotation from a hover. The helicopter landed hard and came to rest in an upright position. The helicopter’s fuselage sustained structural damage during the mishap. The student pilot reported no malfunctions or defects with the helicopter.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Flight time: 39 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,670 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, October 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA Englewood CO at 4:00 pm
- Destination: APA Englewood CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 120 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from APA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.