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LAX84LA314

1984-05-25 · HONOLULU, Hawaii, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport HNL

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A TAIL ROTOR FAILURE SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING THE AIRPORT ON A VFR LOCAL SLING LOADING FLT. THE PLT STATED THAT, 'AT APPROX 500 FT ASL ON CLIMB OUT EXPERIENCED SUDDEN, SEVERE VIBRATION. MADE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO RETURN TO AIRPORT & STARTED A RAPID DESCENT. AT ABOUT 200 FT TURNED BACK INTO WIND FOR AUTOROTATION LANDING TO TAXI-WAY H. HAD NO TAIL ROTOR CONTROL AT THIS POINT SO ELECTED TO MAKE A RUNNING LANDING ON TAXIWAY.' INVESTIGATION REVEALED AN INFLT FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR AFTER THE LEADING EDGE ABRASION STRIP HAD BECOME DE- TACHED. EXAMINATION REVEALED EVIDENCE OF A COHESIVE FAILURE THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1984_LAX84LA314.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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