On 8 September 2017, a Schweizer 269C helicopter crashed after an uncontrolled descent during a power-off landing attempt at the Flying W Airport in Medford, New Jersey, United States.

[3] The pilot was trapped in the wreckage and pronounced dead at the scene; passenger Gentry died of his injuries after being taken to Virtua Hospital Marlton.

[1][3] On 13 September 2017, the NTSB announced preliminary findings, reporting that the helicopter had experienced engine trouble and that the rotor blades had slowed significantly before the aircraft impacted the ground.

[4] Investigators found that after the pilot reported that the engine was not responding to throttle inputs, he consulted with a company flight instructor and a Designated Pilot Examiner, who both attempted to convince him to perform a shallow run-on landing; however, he decided to perform a power-off landing under autorotation, as this was more familiar to him.

[3] The NTSB report quotes other documents warning against the excessive application of collective pitch during autorotation, stating that it could "result in a hard landing with corresponding damage to the helicopter" and that it should "never be applied to reduce rpm for extending glide distance.

"[3] The accident was attributed to "The pilot's early entry into and failure to maintain rotor rpm during a forced landing autorotation after performing an engine shutdown in flight, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent.