Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 600 accident near San Clemente, California, February 20, 2009
On February 20, 2009 at about 3:30 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 600, registered N608BP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near San Clemente, California. It was a public-use flight (federal) under public-use (government) rules. 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the engine’s number two bearing during cruise flight, which resulted in a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 2009 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- San Clemente, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 600 N · all 600s on the register
- Registration
- N608BP · registry record · serial RN037
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (federal) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight the helicopter experienced a loss of engine power. The pilot performed an autorotation, maneuvering the helicopter to avoid obstacles. The helicopter sustained substantial damage after landing hard, semi-submerged in the surf zone of a beach. During the landing sequence, a main rotor blade made contact with the tail boom and the helicopter sustained crush damage to the lower fuselage. Post accident examination of the airframe did not reveal evidence of any failure or malfunction. Examination of the engine revealed a failure of the number two bearing, resulting in a subsequent failure of the engine’s gas generator and power turbine sections. Examination of the bearing revealed signatures consistent with the inner and outer bearing races experiencing misalignment. The misalignment resulted in the associated balls becoming mechanically locked against the ball cage, leading to raceway compromise, heat damage, and bearing failure. As a result of this accident, and other in-service wear issues related to the number two bearing, the engine manufacturer has embarked on a bearing redesign process for this engine series.
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
What happened, in order
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Autorotation Hard landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 1,370 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 4,828 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 7, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 136 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 7, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,571 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 14, 2008; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C47M (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGB Long Beach CA at 3:00 am
- Destination: SDM San Diego CA
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 am from KNFG, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.