Schweizer 269C accident near Leet, West Virginia, March 19, 2005
On March 19, 2005 at about 9:36 pm local time, a Schweizer 269C (helicopter), registered N61193, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leet, West Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A fatigue fracture of the main transmission drive pinion. Also causal was the manufacturer's failure to remove the affected pinions from service during the period that transpired between the initial failures and the accident flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 2005 · about 9:36 pm local time
- Place
- Leet, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N61193 · no longer on the register · serial S1593
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While investigating a fire, the pilot noticed an "unusual vibration," and a "needle split" on the rpm gauge. The rotor speed began to decay and the engine speed began to increase. The pilot then entered an autorotation. The helicopter, impacted terrain, was substantially damaged, and a passenger was seriously injured. Examination of the drive train revealed that the main drive pinion, which drove both the main rotor assembly and the tail rotor drive shaft, had failed in fatigue that had initiated in the root of the first (most forward) engaged pinion thread. The failed pinion had been in service for 4,055.4 hours. Including the accident pinion, 10 instances of pinion failures were identified during the investigation. Times in service ranged from 261.5 to 4,243 hours. According to the manufacturer, life limits for the pinion ranged from 6,000 to 8,000 hours depending on application. As a result of this investigation, The FAA issued an SAIB alerting owners and operators of pending revisions to the inspection procedures for the pinion. The manufacturer revised its Handbook of Maintenance Instructions, to include the revised inspection procedures, and submitted design revisions to the FAA to make the part more robust.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 950 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 850 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,848.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2004; 65.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WV12 S. Charleston WV at 9:10 pm
- Destination: 6L4 Logan WV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 16 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from CRW, 38 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.
Other NTSB records under N61193 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.