Amateur-built SA-300 accident near Van Nuys, California, April 17, 1985
On April 17, 1985 at about 10:57 pm local time, a amateur-built SA-300, registered N9BH, was destroyed in an accident near Van Nuys, California (Van Nuys airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 1985 · about 10:57 pm local time
- Place
- Van Nuys, California · Van Nuys · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SA-300
- Registration
- N9BH · registry record · serial 1095
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES PRIOR TO GRND CONTACT AFTER THE ENG REPORTEDLY QUIT ABOUT 20 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF. THE ACFT REPORTEDLY HAD MORE THAN 29 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE ACFT HAS 3 FUEL TANKS. THE FUEL SELECTOR HAD BEEN CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES DURING ATTEMPTED RESTARTS AFTER THE ENG QUIT. THE CARBURETOR WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACFT AND TESTED SATISFACTORILY. THE FUEL STRAINER AND POPPET VALVE WERE FREE OF CONTAMINATION. NO REASON FOR THE FAILURE WAS FOUND DURING THE TESTS.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,447 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 185 in the last 90 days; 16,075 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:57 pm from VNY, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 LAX85LA208.