Schweizer 269C accident near Caldwell, Idaho, August 31, 2010
On August 31, 2010 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Schweizer 269C (helicopter), registered N1534C, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Caldwell, Idaho (Caldwell Industrial 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 failure of both pilots to maintain adequate main rotor RPM, the flight instructor's delayed remedial actions, and inadequate supervision of the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2010 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Caldwell, Idaho · Caldwell Industrial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269C UNDESIGNAT · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1534C · no longer on the register · serial S1877
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was for the helicopter-rated instructor pilot receiving instruction to become more familiar with the accident make and model helicopter. The intention of the flight instructor giving instruction was to demonstrate an autorotation on takeoff at low altitude, with the student following along on the controls. After ascending to an altitude of about 150 feet and an airspeed of about 50 knots, the instructor explained to the student that he was going to lower collective, but would not add cyclic to maintain airspeed. The instructor stated, “I lowered collective and could feel him [the student] on the collective, so I knew he was there. I then put right pedal in, split the needles, and then felt him [the student] pull back on the cyclic and pull up on the collective. I said ‘…no, push down,’ and I forced the cyclic forward.” The flight instructor said that the rotor RPM had by then decayed outside of normal parameters and that the student kept pulling up on the collective. “I tried to roll on power and force the cyclic forward, but we were descending too fast.” The student stated that during the demonstration he looked down at the rotor RPM and noticed that it was about 320 RPM, and that it stayed that low as the helicopter approached the ground. The student stated that he repeatedly told him [the flight instructor giving instruction] “low RPM" at least 5 times. The student added that after the hard landing the instructor told him that he [the student] had grabbed the controls because the helicopter didn’t pitch forward like he had intended it to do. The student stated, “I told him I hadn’t touched any of the controls and the reason he had no control was probably because the rotor RPM was so low.” An examination of the airframe by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies. Additionally, neither pilot reported a malfunction of the airframe or engine.
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 approach defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 427 hours in all; 380 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 7, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 270 hours in all; 7 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,348 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 11, 2010; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 D1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Elkhorn Aviation Inc. Dba Baker Aircraft
The flight
- Departed from: EUL Caldwell ID
- Destination: EUL Caldwell ID
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 12, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 pm from EUL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N1534C 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.