Schweizer 269C accident near Quarryville, Pennsylvania, September 26, 2009
On September 26, 2009 at about 4:55 pm local time, a Schweizer 269C (helicopter), registered N233JA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Quarryville, Pennsylvania. It was an air-drop flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An untrained bystander's attempt to marshal the helicopter, which resulted in the helicopter's inadvertent encounter with an object.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 2009 · about 4:55 pm local time
- Place
- Quarryville, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N233JA · no longer on the register · serial S1798
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air-drop flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had agreed to use his helicopter to participate in a publicity event at a golf course. The event consisted of landing in a designated area to pick up a load of golf balls, then dropping the golf balls from the hovering helicopter. Several days before the event, the pilot visited the golf course to survey the landing area. He was not advised to expect a marshaler. On the day of the accident, the helicopter approached the golf course, and entered a hover above the putting green that the pilot planned to land on. Several witnesses reported that a person on the ground began providing hand signals to direct the pilot. In response to the signals, the pilot began to back up the helicopter, and one of the landing skids contacted a wooden statue. The pilot was unable to regain control of the helicopter before it rolled onto its left side and struck the ground. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the cabin area, skids and tail boom, and the tail rotor was separated. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter prior to the accident. Subsequent to the accident, it was determined that the marshaler was self-appointed, and that he did not have any formal training in marshaling aircraft. The nearest weather reporting station, located approximately 17 nautical miles north of the accident site, reported winds of 9 knots about the time of the accident.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Effect on equipment
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Unneccessary action › Other/unknown
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Issuing instructions › Other/unknown
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,760 hours in all; 2,964 in this make and model; 7,760 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 24, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 286 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 21, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Darlington MD at 4:30 pm
- Destination: Quarryville PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft; scat at 4,400 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from LNS, 17 miles away
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.