Schweizer 269C accident near Baltimore, Maryland, July 18, 1997
On July 18, 1997 at about 3:30 am local time, a Schweizer 269C (helicopter), registered N6129Q, was destroyed in an accident near Baltimore, Maryland. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power which was a result of incomplete and improper engine overhaul by company maintenance personnel. A factor in the accident was the unsuitable forced landing area terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1997 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Baltimore, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N6129Q · registry record · serial S1629
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The police pilot was flying the helicopter in a right-hand orbit approximately 500 feet. The pilot heard a loud 'clunk' and experienced an immediate loss of engine power. He entered an autorotation over an urban area, and the helicopter struck a tree and collided with terrain during the descent. Examination of the wreckage revealed the #4 connecting rod protruding from the engine case. The connecting rod bolts were stretched beyond the manufacturer's limits, and valve tappets with incorrect part numbers were installed. The engine records revealed the engine had been overhauled by T.W.Smith Engine Company Inc. approximately 500 flight hours prior to the accident flight. The overhaul records reflected maintenance and inspections performed on components not installed on the accident engine and on parts designated to be discarded and replaced. Examination of the fractured #4 connecting rod revealed '...crack arrest positions and ratchet marks, indicative of fatigue crack progression...' and galling spots on the fatigue origin areas.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,200 hours in all; 6,535 in this make and model; 152 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 7,700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,471 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 15, 1997; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Baltimore Police Department
The flight
- Departed from: MTN MD at 2:15 am
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 am from BWI, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N6129Q 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.