Schweizer 269C accident near Tallulah, Louisiana, May 30, 1990
On May 30, 1990 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Schweizer 269C (helicopter), registered N431MS, was destroyed in an accident near Tallulah, Louisiana. It was an aerial observation 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
LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO A MULTIPLE BIRD STRIKE AND INCORRECT CONTROL INPUTS BY THE PILOT IN THE FLARE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE BIRD STRIKE INDUCED VIBRATIONS AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE CONTACT WITH THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 1990 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tallulah, Louisiana
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N431MS · registry record · serial S1435
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT 800 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY FLEW THE AIRCRAFT INTO A FLOCK OF BIRDS. FOLLOWING THE BIRD STRIKE THE AIRCRAFT DEVELOPED SEVERE VERTICAL VIBRATIONS AND THE PILOT EXECUTED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. DURING THE DESCENT AND DURING THE FLARE PRIOR TO LANDING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE FLEXED DOWN AND STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT BECOMING UNCONTROLLABLE. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE AND ROLLED 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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 117 in the last 30 days; 2,300 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 230 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 24, 1990; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-DIA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEI Meridian MS at 5:30 pm
- Destination: SHV Shreveport LA
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from MLU, 53 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.