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LAX91LA387

1991-09-07 · PHOENIX, Arizona, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

N7456T has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (CESSNA 172A, built 1960), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

UNDETERMINED.

Factual narrative

THE HELICOPTER WAS A FACTORY BUILT PROTOTYPE FOR A NEW KIT DESIGN AND THE PILOT WAS A COMPANY EMPLOYEE. SHERIFFS DETECTIVES REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD BEEN ARRESTED THE EVENING BEFORE FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT'S ROOMMATE TELEPHONED THE AIRPORT AND SAID THAT THE PILOT WAS NOT TO FLY BECAUSE HE 'WAS ON SOMETHING.' THE PILOT ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT AND TOOK THE HELICOPTER. ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY OWNER, THE PILOT STOLE THE HELICOPTER. WITNESSES AT THE LAKE REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER ARRIVED OVER THE LAKE AND BEGAN TO PERFORM A SERIES OF AEROBATIC LIKE MANEUVERS. THE HELICOPTER REPORTEDLY BUZZED SEVERAL BOATS IN THE LAKE AT A LOW LEVEL. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES OF MANEUVERING, THE WITNESSES SAID THE HELICOPTER SEEMED TO STOP, THEN DIVE INTO THE LAKE. SHERIFF'S DETECTIVES REPORTED THAT TWO SUICIDE NOTES WERE FOUND IN THE PILOT'S AUTOMOBILE PARKED AT THE AIRPORT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_LAX91LA387.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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