Schweizer 269C accident near Westerville, Ohio, March 29, 1999
On March 29, 1999 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Schweizer 269C (helicopter), registered N15SS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Westerville, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to maintain control of the helicopter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 1999 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Westerville, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N15SS · no longer on the register · serial S1622
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses observed the Schweizer 269C helicopter circle over a house under construction at a low altitude. After one pass, the helicopter slowed down while some witnesses said it came to a hover. The helicopter was observed to wobble, and then rotate nose left and descend into trees. No evidence of pre-existing mechanical failure with the airframe was found. The engine was placed in a test cell and performed satisfactorily. The pilot was carrying a dog with him who was ejected from the helicopter during the accident sequence. The dog was reported to have been restrained by a harness, however no evidence was found to support the dog being restrained.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,600 hours in all; 800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 500 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 7, 1998; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-01A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Columbus OH at 5:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 11 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from OSU, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.