Schweizer 269C accident near San Ygnacio, Texas, January 12, 1996
On January 12, 1996 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Schweizer 269C (helicopter), registered N3623T, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Ygnacio, Texas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
Failure of the rotor drive system clutch assembly (separation of the swedge ball from the end of the clutch control cable), which resulted in disengagement of the rotor drive system, while the helicopter was in lateral movement at low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 1996 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- San Ygnacio, Texas · map
- 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
- N3623T · no longer on the register · serial S1567
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While herding cattle, the helicopter was moving laterally at about 70 feet out of ground effect, when the pilot heard a loud 'bang.' He said he applied anti-torque pedal to 'straighten' the helicopter with the flight path, but the helicopter did not respond to pedal inputs. The engine produced high RPM, but the tail rotor and main rotor RPM decreased. The pilot initiated an autorotation and landed on both skids. During touchdown with lateral movement, the helicopter rolled over and came to rest on its side. Inspection of the helicopter revealed that the swedged ball on the end of the clutch control cable had separated, which allowed the rotor drive system clutch assembly to disengage.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,699 hours in all; 9,499 in this make and model; 186 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 14,699 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,269 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 14, 1995; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 70 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:46 pm from LRD, 40 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.