Bell OH-58C accident near Compton, California, March 15, 2000
On March 15, 2000 at about 3:11 am local time, a Bell OH-58C (helicopter), registered N911JN, was destroyed in an accident near Compton, California. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An undetermined electrical system voltage surge.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 2000 · about 3:11 am local time
- Place
- Compton, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell OH-58C · all OH-58Cs on the register
- Registration
- N911JN · registry record · serial 68-16751
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter hit a trailer and the ground during an autorotation precipitated by pilot perceived malfunctions in the electrical and hydraulic systems during cruise. A city police department operated the helicopter for law enforcement patrol missions. After exiting an orbit around a ground situation, the crew saw the low rotor rpm warning light flash on, then back off, then on again. Normal rotor and engine rpm was shown on the tach. They were only 3 miles from their airport base and the pilot decided to return there. The low rotor warning light began to flash on and off, with an increasing frequency until it was steady. Suddenly all the cockpit warning and caution lights illuminated, both on the eyebrow panel and center pedestal panel. The hydraulic system also turned off and the pilot had to resort to manual force on the flight controls. The pilot checked the engine and rotor gages and noted that the rotor needle was pointing off scale high; however, neither crewmember heard any change in the engine and rotor sounds. The observer reported that he believed they lost their radios and exterior lights at this time and also said that the engine and rotor tach needles were married together at 100 percent until the autorotation. The pilot was on an extended final approach to the runway and helicopter control was becoming difficult. Suddenly, an airplane appeared on base leg to the runway and the pilot had to maneuver to avoid a collision. With the control difficulties and uncertainty about what was happening to the helicopter, the pilot decided to autorotate to a clear area in a schoolyard. The night sun spotlight failed during the autorotation and the pilot cleared a building but could not avoid a parked trailer that he had not seen before. The helicopter collided with the trailer, then the ground, and rolled over. The hydraulic system solenoid valve is electrically operated and it takes electrical power to close the valve and turn off the hydraulics; the valve fails to the open position when electrical power is lost. Post accident testing of the hydraulic system found normal operation. The complete electrical system wiring was traced from the generator and battery to the ground points on each circuit, with no discrepancies found. The main rotor tach drive and the cockpit gauge were functionally tested. No like events were found during searches of the historical records for the US Army, Bell Helicopters, or in the FAA SDR database. Bell Helicopter opined that an almost complete electrical system voltage spike/surge simultaneously in a large number of circuits would be required to replicate the event as described by the crew.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,700 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 210 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 2,637 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,126 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 28, 2000; 77 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CPM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 142°F (61°C), dew point 126°F (52°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from HHR, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX00GA114.