Brown BARNETT J4B accident near Sheridan, California, March 20, 2009
On March 20, 2009 at about 10:56 pm local time, a Brown BARNETT J4B (helicopter), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N35JB, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Sheridan, California. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to carburetor icing as a result of the pilot's failure to use carburetor heat.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2009 · about 10:56 pm local time
- Place
- Sheridan, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Brown BARNETT J4B, amateur-built
- Registration
- N35JB · registry record · serial 080
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the gyroplane experienced a loss of engine power and the pilot initiated a forced landing onto a highway. After an uneventful landing, the pilot steered the gyroplane off the road to avoid a vehicle, and the gyroplane encountered a ditch and rolled onto its right side. The vertical stabilizer and rudder were bent and wrinkled, and the rotor head was destroyed. Postaccident examination of the engine by the gyroplane's owner revealed no evidence of mechanical failures or malfunctions. The owner stated that the high humidity and the pilot's description of the power loss indicated carburetor icing had occurred. The owner further stated that the gyroplane was equipped with carburetor heat; however, the pilot did not use it. Review of the carburetor ice probability chart revealed that the temperature and dew point at the time of the accident were conducive to icing conditions at cruise power and serious icing conditions at glide power.
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
- Fuel related during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Roll over during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › (general) › Not used/operated
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: gyroplane; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 31, 2007
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 15, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYV Marysville CA at 10:40 pm
- Destination: LHM Lincoln CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 154°F (68°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from BAB, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.