No fatalities

Helicopter Rolls Over During Simulated Engine Failure Training

Mount Pocono, PA, United States

On March 20, 2011, a SCHWEIZER 269C-1 operated by HI-TECH HELICOPTERS INC was involved in an aviation accident near Mount Pocono, PA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight instructor's selection of an unsuitable landing site to practice autorotations, which resulted in an inadvertent dynamic rollover during touchdown. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

A helicopter rolled onto its left side during a training exercise when its skid sank into mud, causing substantial damage.

Accident Details

During a local training flight, the certificated flight instructor (CFI) was conducting a simulated engine failure exercise. The helicopter was at a hover when the CFI rolled off the power to mimic an engine failure. Upon ground contact, the aft portion of the left skid sank into the mud, causing the helicopter to roll to the left.

The CFI attempted corrective action consistent with training for a dynamic rollover, but the helicopter continued to roll onto its left side. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor blades and fuselage.

Pilot Statements

Both the CFI and the student pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter prior to the accident.

Contributing factors

Instructor/check pilotCapability exceeded