# NTSB investigations, PA: Loss of tail rotor effectiveness

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB ERA25LA204](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA204.md): Eurocopter Deutschland MBB-BK 117 C-1 · Fort Washington, PA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · May 19, 2025 · N117NC · Substantial damage
  > Maintenance personnel’s failure to identify and replace damaged rivet nuts at the air conditioning louver assembly, which resulted in the separation of the louver assembly from the helicopter, the louver assembly’s impact with the tail rotor, and subsequent…
- [NTSB ERA21LA357](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA357.md): Enstrom F28 · Toughkenamon, PA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Sep 8, 2021 · N51789 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter during an out-of-ground effect hover in a gusty wind, due to loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
- [NTSB ERA19LA285](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA285.md): Enstrom F28 · Bloomsburg, PA · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Sep 28, 2019 · N380SH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain proper forward airspeed and power during final approach, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and impact with terrain.
- [NTSB ERA18LA192](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA192.md): Schweizer 269D · Stewartstown, PA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jul 14, 2018 · N411HU · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inability to maintain yaw control while transitioning to an out of ground effect hover due to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
- [NTSB ERA17LA046](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17LA046.md): Robinson Helicopter R22 · West Chester, PA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 15, 2016 · N306RL · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor's decision to continue the practice autorotation in known gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing and roll over.
- [NTSB ERA12CA357](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA357.md): Hughes TH-55 · Pittsfield, PA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 19, 2012 · N74914 · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control during an encounter with loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
- [NTSB NYC08LA287](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC08LA287.md): Bell 206A · Barnesville, PA · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 22, 2008 · N67AR · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during the low-speed, low-altitude maneuver which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."eventStateOrRegion" = 'PA' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '242' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent"))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/242/sequence?state=PA

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