Schweizer 269C-1 accident near Brentwood, California, June 5, 2004
On June 5, 2004 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Schweizer 269C-1 (helicopter), registered N9421K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brentwood, California (Buchanan Field 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 student's improper use of the cyclic control, the flight instructor's inadequate supervision, and his delayed remedial action. A factor in the accident was the CFI's diverted attention.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2004 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Brentwood, California · Buchanan Field 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
- N9421K · no longer on the register · serial 0141
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter collided with terrain and rolled over while hovering above flat terrain. The student pilot was practicing hover techniques by utilizing the controls individually. While the student was manipulating the cyclic, the certified flight instructor (CFI) noticed that the friction setting on the collective had been engaged. As the CFI was focusing on the friction setting for the collective, the student made a large forward cyclic input. The helicopter responded in an extreme nose down position and the CFI attempted to counteract the student's abrupt maneuver. The helicopter impacted terrain and rolled over the nose, coming to rest on the right side. The CFI reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 237 hours in all; 179 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 28 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 17 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Helicopter Adventures Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: CCR Concord CA
- Destination: Concord CA
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N9421K 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.