Aviation Crash Map

Schweizer 269C N7508L

20 August 2002 · Broomfield, Colorado, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 20 August 2002 at about 17:20 local time, a Schweizer 269C registered N7508L, operated by Rotors of the Rockies, was involved in an accident near Broomfield, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 17:20
Classification
Accident
Location
Broomfield, Colorado, United States
Nearest airport
Jeffco (BJC)
Coordinates
39.9086, -105.1172
Aircraft
Schweizer 269C
Registration
N7508L
Category
Helicopter
Engines
1
Operator
Rotors of the Rockies
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Instructional
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Broomfield → Broomfield
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
DEN02LA098

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
2 0 0 0 2

Probable cause

maintenance personnel's failure to secure the landing skid oleo strut bolt during the last 50-hour inspection, causing the left rear skid to collapse and the tail rotor to strike the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student was practicing autorotations in preparation for taking his rotorcraft-helicopter practical flight test the following day. With his instructor on board, the student had successfully performed two "full down" autorotations. As he completed the third autorotation, they heard a loud noise and the helicopter settled toward the left rear, enough that the tail rotor struck the asphalt taxiway. Postaccident inspection disclosed that the bolt that attaches the left rear oleo strut to the crossbeam was missing. The tail rotor blades were damaged, the tail rotor driveshaft was twisted, and the splined end was separated from the main transmission. Maintenance records indicated the helicopter had accrued 5.1 hours since the last 50-hour inspection, at which time the landing gear struts had been overhauled and the skid shoes replaced.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Schweizer 269 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
6 Jun 2002 Schweizer 269C
D-HMIN
Paderborn-Lipsd, Germany
no coordinates
Nautische Leasinggescllachaft fur Soziamanagementl Fatal 2
15 Jul 2002 Schweizer 269C-1
N20256
Concord, California, United States - No injuries -
13 May 2002 Schweizer 269C
N577TA
Phoenix, Arizona, United States Scottsdale Helicopters Minor injuries -
21 Aug 2002 Schweizer 269C-1
N6147L
Andover, New Jersey, United States - Serious injuries -
20 Jul 2002 Schweizer 269C-1
N897TH
Askov, Minnesota, United States - No injuries -
26 Aug 2002 Schweizer 269C
D-HRIT
Augsburg Bayern, Germany
no coordinates
S.P. Helicopter Service GmbH No injuries -

All 233 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
10 Jun 2002 Beechcraft 58P
N123Z
Grand Junction, Colorado, United States - No injuries -
9 Aug 2002 Cessna 310N
N111KC
Grand Junction, Colorado, United States - No injuries -
14 Jan 2002 Piper PA-23-250
N6935Y
Pagosa Springs, Colorado, United States - Minor injuries -
4 Nov 2002 Mooney M20E
N9288M
Broomfield, Colorado, United States - No injuries -
11 Jan 2002 McDonnell Douglas MD 902
N902AM
Aurora, Colorado, United States MD Helicopters No injuries -
13 Jan 2002 Maule M-5-235C
N382X
Grand Junction, Colorado, United States - No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States