Schweizer 269C-1 accident near Titusville, Florida, October 6, 2010
On October 6, 2010 at about 5:18 pm local time, a Schweizer 269C-1 (helicopter), registered N2074B, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Titusville, Florida. 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
An inadvertent in-flight collision with a bird.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 2010 · about 5:18 pm local time
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269C-1 · all 269C-1s on the register
- Registration
- N2074B · no longer on the register · serial 0338
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was maneuvering the helicopter about 1,000 feet above ground level when he noticed a large bird located to the right of his flight path. As the bird started to circle toward the helicopter, the pilot attempted to avoid it by making a sharp left turn. When the helicopter was in a steep left bank, the pilot felt a "thump" in the airframe and cyclic control. The cyclic became sluggish and less responsive than normal. The pilot initiated a controlled descent and landed the helicopter in the median of a highway. An examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the main rotor blades required replacement. The pilot reported that prior to the bird impacting the helicopter, there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation
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
- Birdstrike during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 98 hours in all; 98 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 34 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,916 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 8, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-G1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bristow Academy INC
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Titusville FL at 4:15 pm
- Destination: NONE Titusville FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 5:47 pm from TIX, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.