Schweizer 269D accident near San Antonio, Texas, January 18, 2005
On January 18, 2005 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Schweizer 269D (helicopter), registered N296RL, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Antonio, Texas (Stinson Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate supervision and delayed remedial action by the flight instructor, which resulted in an inadvertent dynamic rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 2005 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · Stinson Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269D · all 269Ds on the register
- Registration
- N296RL · registry record · serial 0020
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a written statement, the 3,206-hour flight instructor reported that during the student's first training flight, the student manipulated the controls for approximately two minutes until the helicopter began to drift left and slightly forward. The helicopter then "suddenly descended," and the instructor began to apply corrective input to the controls as the front left skid struck the ground. The instructor "felt the helicopter begin to roll to the left at this pivot point." He attempted to correct the situation prior to reaching the critical rollover angle of the helicopter, but the helicopter continued to roll and came to rest on its left side.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,206 hours in all; 2,434 in this make and model; 88 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 3,200 as pilot in command; 916 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 19, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 54 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,580.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 22, 2004; 93.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20W (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SSF San Antonio TX at 9:00 pm
- Destination: SSF San Antonio TX
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.46 inHg
- Observation at 10:29 pm from SSF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.