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Atlas / NTSB / DEN83LA165

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event DEN83LA165

1983-07-14 INTERIOR, South Dakota, United States None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

WHILE ON A SIGHT-SEEING FLT OVER A PARK, THE PLT HEARD A LOUD NOISE & THE HELICOPTER SHUDDERED & LOST POWER. AT THAT TIME, THE ACFT WAS OVER A CANYON, SO THE PLT LOOKED FOR THE FLATEST AREA TO LAND & BEGAN AN AUTOROTATION. DURING THE LANDING, THE HELICOPTER BOUNCED INSTEAD OF SLIDDING. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE SKIDS BENT, THE TAIL ROTOR HIT THE GROUND & THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES HIT THE TAIL BOOM. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ENG FAILED AFTER A CONNECTING ROD BOLT HAD FAILED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1983_DEN83LA165.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.