Hughes 269C accident near Ramona, California, September 22, 2011
On September 22, 2011 at about 10:40 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N1088Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ramona, California. 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 flight instructor’s failure to follow the proper procedure while demonstrating a practice autorotation, which resulted in a total loss of engine power and subsequent hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 2011 · about 10:40 pm local time
- Place
- Ramona, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C UNDESIGNAT · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1088Y · registry record · serial 611054
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor stated that he initiated the autorotation demonstration maneuver between 600 to 700 feet above ground level (agl) by rolling off the throttle and splitting the needles. About 300 feet agl, he initiated the recovery; however, he then noticed that the engine rpm was near zero and that the engine would not respond to throttle input. About 100 feet agl, the airspeed was about 40 knots, and the rotor rpm was on the low side of the green arc. The helicopter subsequently landed hard, slid forward, rolled over, and came to rest on its right side. A postaccident examination revealed no anomalies with the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The company chief pilot stated that, shortly after the instructor was hired, he showed the instructor the proper technique for teaching autorotations, which did not include rolling the throttle off in flight, a procedure that could result in engine stoppage. About 4 months after the accident, the Federal Aviation Administration issued Special Airworthiness Bulletin SW-12-12, “Conducting Engine-Failure Simulation in Helicopters with Reciprocating Engines.” The bulletin cautions owners and operators of Schweizer 269C and 269C-1 helicopters to avoid throttle chops to full idle in order to minimize the possibility of engine stoppage.
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
- Autorotation Loss of engine power (total) defining event
- Autorotation Hard landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Incorrect use/operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 550 hours in all; 282 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 467 as pilot in command; 167 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 31, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 33 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,761 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, September 16, 2011; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRQ Carlsbad CA at 9:05 pm
- Destination: CRQ Carlsbad CA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from RNM, 5 miles away
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.
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.