Schweizer 269C accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, February 29, 2008
On February 29, 2008 at about 4:35 pm local time, a Schweizer 269C (helicopter), registered N958CP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Las Vegas, Nevada. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The certificated flight instructor's delayed remedial action, and inadequate supervision while landing on a pinnacle. Factors contributing to the accident were the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing, and the student's failure to maintain rotor rpm.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 29, 2008 · about 4:35 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N958CP · registry record · serial 1710
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and student were practicing pinnacle approaches. During the last 50 feet of the approach, the main rotor rpm began to decay as the student was raising the collective. The CFI advised the student to roll on some throttle, and also reached for the throttle. The student continued to increase the collective, and the main rotor rpm decayed further. The instructor took full control of the helicopter and completed a steep slope landing. After the helicopter was on the ground, the instructor found that half of the collective was pulled in as well as full right cyclic in order to keep the helicopter stable on the slope. The CFI lifted the helicopter from the slope, and started to go into a hover, slowly letting the helicopter drift to the left away from the slope. The helicopter started to settle, and the instructor could not lower collective to roll the throttle on to gain power. The helicopter was continuing a drift to the left when the tail stinger and tail rotor contacted something on the slope. The helicopter began an immediate and rapid right yaw. The CFI rolled the throttle off to arrest the rotation, and the helicopter stopped spinning. The helicopter landed softly, but rolled over due to the steepness of the slope. The pilot reported no prior mechanical malfunctions.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain)
- Roll over during landing
The NTSB's findings
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Not specified
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Not specified
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,300 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 120 in the last 30 days; 4,200 as pilot in command; 1,600 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 25 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 6 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,230 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 1, 2007; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airwork LLC
The flight
- Departed from: VGT Las Vegas NV at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:00 pm from VGT, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 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 N958CP 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.