NTSB LAX89FA160 — 1989-04-14 · SANTA ANA, California, United States

Current FAA registration · N1168U

Make / Model: SIKORSKY S-58ET
Year of manufacture: 1958 · 31 years old at event
Engine: P&W CANADA PT6T-6 (925 hp)
Seats / Engines: 14 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 20030529
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A04600

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N1168U Sikorsky S-58ET Minor

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF THE LANDING GEAR RESULTING FROM EXCESSIVE LOADING DURING GROUND OPERATIONS, AND FATIGUE CRACKING.

Factual narrative

AFTER THE CARGO WAS LOADED, AND AS THE PILOT GROUND TAXIED OVER A CONCRETE DRAINAGE DEPRESSION IN THE RAMP, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE GEAR TUBE AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FAILED LANDING GEAR STRUT REVEALED PRE-EXISTING FATIGUE CRACKS IN THE INSIDE THE GEAR LEG EXTENDING FROM MULTIPLE ORIGINS. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS CORROSION PITTING AND REMNANT TOOLING MARKS ON THE SURFACE FINISH OF THE LOWER GEAR TUBE INSIDE DIAMETER. THE PITTED AND CORRODED CONDITION OF THE TUBE INSIDE DIAMETER INDICATED THAT ENVIRONMENTAL INTRUSION OF THE CORROSION PREVENTATIVE MATERIAL MAY HAVE OCCURRED DURING SERVICE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS 951 POUNDS OVER CERTIFICATED MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_LAX89FA160.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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