Amateur-built BABY BELLE accident near Inyokern, California, May 31, 1998
On May 31, 1998 at about 6:45 pm local time, a amateur-built BABY BELLE (helicopter), registered N656VK, was destroyed in an accident near Inyokern, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to recover from a low rotor rpm condition, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 1998 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Inyokern, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BABY BELLE
- Registration
- N656VK · registry record · serial VK01
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot took off and approximately 40 mph and 60 feet agl, he felt an increasing vibration which he attempted to reduce by raising the collective. He decided to land and as he applied aft cyclic and reduced the collective, the aircraft began yawing to the left and he ran out of right pedal. The aircraft nosed over in an uncontrolled descent and impacted the ground at approximately a 45-degree nose-down attitude and 20-30 degree left roll. The pilot reported that he built the kit helicopter, which has a total time of 67 hours. The kit does not include a low rotor rpm warning system. The pilot holds a private pilot certificate with a single engine land rating and has a helicopter solo endorsement dated August 22, 1997.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 315 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 213 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 67 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX98LA178.