LAX84FA371

Factual narrative

GND WITNESSES OBSVD HELICOPTER INTO NORMAL TURN AT 500 FT AGL FOLLOWED BY A VIOLENT RT TURN. DURING THE VIOLENT TURN THE TAIL ROTOR ASSY SEPARATED & THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONED UPWARDS. THE HELICOPTER WENT INTO A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT & CRASHED. WRECKAGE EXAM DISCLOSE THE TAIL ROTOR HUB TEETERING FORK BOLT & BOTH PITCH CHG LNKS SUSTAINED OVLD FRACTURES. THE FORK ASSY SHOWED EXTENSIVE BLADE IMPACT MARKS. BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADES TRAIL EDGES EXHIBITED ABRASIVE SIGNATURES & WERE DELAMINATED. THE TAIL SKID SEPARATED & WAS FRACTURED @ MIDSPAN & ITS LT SIDE SHOWED TAIL ROTOR BLADE RUB MARKS. METAL & CHEM ANALYSIS DISCLSD THE EPOXY BONDING MATERIAL WAS WEAKENED BY A FOREIGN SUBSTANCE. BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE XRAYED AND PAINTED 25 FLT HRS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO INDICATE THE PILOT HAD FLOWN A HELICOPTER WITHIN 11 MONTHS PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT. THE PLT HAD ACCUMULATED 50 HELICOPTER FLT HRS, 15 OF WHICH WERE AS PIC. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12