Schweizer 269C accident near Cave Creek, Arizona, July 19, 2000
On July 19, 2000 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Schweizer 269C (helicopter), registered N577TA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cave Creek, Arizona (Desert Landing Site airport). 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
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision to attempt a hover in atmospheric conditions and over terrain that would require maximum helicopter performance, and which would leave no viable alternate actions in the event of difficulties.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2000 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Cave Creek, Arizona · Desert Landing Site · 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
- N577TA · registry record · serial 51759
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter sustained substantial damage when it descended into a rough rock-strewn field while attempting to hover. The density altitude at the 2,200-foot msl accident site would have been about 5,000 feet. The normally aspirated engine's critical altitude is 4,000 feet and the Rotorcraft Flight Manual shows that the maximum available manifold pressure at that altitude is 24.8 inches. The pilot said that he chose a spot suitable to hover for a closer look at items of interest on the ground. He made a shallow approach to the spot and loaded the rotor blades as the helicopter slowed; when the helicopter reached a hover, the manifold pressure was at 25 inches. The next thing the pilot realized was that the rotor rpm was near the bottom of the green arc and the helicopter was settling toward the ground. The pilot reduced the collective a small amount and rolled the throttle full on; however, the helicopter began settling faster. The pilot used collective in an attempt to cushion the landing but the skids touched down hard on a large rock, bending the skids and fuselage structure and damaging the tail boom. The pilot reported that after the helicopter came to rest when the collective was lowered all the way the rotor rpm recovered. The pilot then completed a normal engine cool down and shutdown procedure. The pilot said that when the rpm first decayed and the helicopter began to settle, he initially thought about trying to fly forward out of the descent. Large rocks, high brush, and rising terrain were directly in front, and he feared that the damage and injury potential there was much worse if the helicopter had continued to settle. Review of the performance charts in the Helicopter Flight Manual revealed that the reported temperature and pressure altitude of the accident site for the estimated weight of the helicopter was very near the limit for an out of ground effect hover.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,689 hours in all; 169 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 542 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 17 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: SDL Scottsdale AZ at 3:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 203°F (95°C), dew point 82°F (28°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:47 pm from SDL, 10 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 N577TA 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.