Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Norman Piepenbrink was killed in a helicopter accident while working as an observer with Pilot Willard J. Lehmanon. The officers were conducting freeway traffic patrol in a Bell 47J helicopter. Sergeant Piepenbrink, the officer-in-charge of the Air Support Division, departed and another officer who was piloting the helicopter had departed from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department helipad at the Biscailuz Center in East Los Angeles. Immediately after departure, the aircrew overheard three loud, distinct thumps. The helicopter subsequently crashed, badly burning Sergeant Piepenbrink and the pilot. An investigation revealed that the six rotor driving flange screws in the main rotor transmission had failed. This failure allowed the transmission rotor driving flange to become uncoupled from the transmission upper spider, causing a complete loss of engine torque to the main rotor. The six screws fractured from a static shear overload, resulting in a forced landing on unsuitable terrain. The aircraft was destroyed. Sergeant Piepenbrink succumbed to his injuries three days later. Despite being badly burned, the pilot survived the crash. Sergeant Piepenbrink was a U.S Army veteran of WWII and had served with the Los Angeles Police Department for 18 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-6B7C4528- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Sergeant Piepenbrink gave the Los Angeles Police Department 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the Los Angeles community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Norman Dean Piepenbrink served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Sergeant Norman Dean Piepenbrink is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 8.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Los Angeles Police Department, 97 of 240 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 40.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Norman Dean Piepenbrink's cause is highlighted.
How Norman Dean Piepenbrink Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Norman Dean Piepenbrink is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
239 officers from Los Angeles Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
