Event LAX91LA008

1990-10-11 MERCED, California, United States Serious 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N477JM

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

BEECH 200

Year of manufacture

1979 · 11 years old at event

Engine

P&W PT6A SER (750 hp)

Seats / Engines

11 seats · 2 engines

Last airworthiness date

19990927

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A5DBEF

Registrant of record

BEHRENS AIRCRAFT LEASING LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N477JM Bell 47G4 Serious

Probable cause & findings

LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON.

Factual narrative

AFTER WASHING THE HELICOPTER THE PILOT TOOK-OFF ON A BUSINESS FLIGHT OVER HIS RANCH. A GROUND WITNESS HEARD THE ENGINE STOP AND OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER ENTER AN AUTOROTATIVE DESCENT. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE WITNESS ESTIMATED THE HELICOPTERS ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN HE FIRST OBSERVED IT. POST ACCIDENT EXAM OF THE HELICOPTER AND ENGINE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_LAX91LA008.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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