What happened
On October 2, 2024, at approximately 18:40 mountain daylight time, a Schweizer 269C helicopter, registration N656RB, was involved in an accident near Montrose, Colorado. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight.
The pilot was performing an autorotation demonstration at an altitude of approximately 1,500 feet above ground level with an indicated airspeed of about 60 knots. The pilot had selected a touchdown point consisting of hard-packed gravel. During the maneuver, the pilot reported a complete loss of engine power, stating that the engine RPM dropped to zero immediately after rolling off the throttle.
After unsuccessful attempts to restart the engine, the pilot completed the autorotation to the intended touchdown area. During the ground run, the left skid collapsed, causing the aircraft to roll onto its left side. The accident resulted in 2 minor injuries and no fatalities. The impact caused substantial damage to the tail rotor system, the tail boom, and the main rotor system.