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LAX90LA283

1990-08-13 · SAN FRANCISCO, California, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S DECISION TO OPERATE THE HELICOPTER IN A FLIGHT REGIME CONDUCIVE TO UNANTICIPATED RIGHT YAW.

Factual narrative

PILOT WAS MANEUVERING HIS HELIOCPTER IN A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN AROUND A SAILBOAT TO PROVIDE AN AERIAL PLATFORM FOR A MOVIE FILM CREW. ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE THE WATER AND A FEW FEET FROM THE SAILBOAT MAST, THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SPIN TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS DOWNWIND FROM THE RELATIVE WIND DIRECTION. THE PILOT REDUCED COLLECTIVE PITCH AND THE SPIN STOPPED. DUE TO THE COLLECTIVE REDUCTION, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER BEFORE IT STRUCK THE OCEAN SURFACE AND SANK. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_LAX90LA283.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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