Schweizer 269C-1 accident near Titusville, Florida, May 31, 2012
On May 31, 2012 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Schweizer 269C-1 (helicopter), registered N1803R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Titusville, Florida (Space Coast Regional Airport). It was an instructional 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 flight instructor’s inadequate supervision and delayed remedial action during a simulated engine-out procedure, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 2012 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · Space Coast Regional Airport · 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
- N1803R · no longer on the register · serial 0298
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor, during the helicopter instructional flight, he simulated an engine failure. During the descent, the engine rpm began to decrease. As the helicopter approached the intended landing area, the student pilot raised the collective, which further decreased the rotor rpm. The flight instructor lowered the collective and increased the throttle; the helicopter touched down hard, bounced, landed and rolled onto its left side, which resulted in substantial damage to the tailboom. A postaccident examination revealed no preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Additionally, neither pilot reported any mechanical malfunctions 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
- Autorotation Attempted remediation/recovery
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,616 hours in all; 2,874 in this make and model; 102 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 6,287 as pilot in command; 4,700 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 29, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 61 hours in all; 61 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,907 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 2, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-G1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bristow Academy INC
The flight
- Departed from: TIX Titusville FL at 11:30 am
- Destination: TIX Titusville FL
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:50 am from TIX, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.