# NTSB investigations: Rotorcraft tail boom 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 WPR24LA319](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA319.md): Bell 206L · Fern Prairie, WA · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Sep 26, 2024 · N9984K · Substantial damage > An aeroelastic interaction between the helicopter’s main rotor blades and nodal beam system, which resulted in oscillations that exceeded the design limits of the tailboom. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the main rotor blade manufacturer to… - [NTSB CEN23LA295](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA295.md): Bell UH-1H · Woodlawn, IL · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jul 11, 2023 · N900VF · Substantial damage > The separation of the tail boom from the fuselage for reasons that could not be determined. - [NTSB ANC23LA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC23LA038.md): Aerospatiale AS350B2 · Honolulu, HI · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 22, 2023 · N745RH · Substantial damage > The instructor pilot’s inadequate supervision of the pilot receiving instruction, which resulted in a hard landing, and substantial damage to the tail boom. - [NTSB ANC22FA041](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC22FA041.md): Bell 407 · Kalea, HI · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Jun 9, 2022 · N402SH · Substantial damage > The in-flight separation of the tail boom as a result of abnormal loading and fracture of the upper-left tail boom attachment bolt due to a gap between the upper-left longeron and aft fuselage bulkhead. - [NTSB GAA15CA280](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15CA280.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · West Palm Beach, FL · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 22, 2015 · N44XL · Substantial damage > The flight instructor's improper use of pitch control during a demonstrated 180 degree autorotation which resulted in damage to the tail boom. - [NTSB WPR13FA411](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13FA411.md): Bell UH 1B · Detroit, OR · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Sep 16, 2013 · N204UH · Substantial damage > The fatigue failure of the upper two tailboom attachment points, which resulted in the tailboom separating from the fuselage during logging operations. Contributing to the accident was poor maintenance throughout the helicopter’s operational life. - [NTSB DCA12FA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA12FA024.md): Bell 214 · Camp Bastion, Afghanistan · Accident · 3 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jan 16, 2012 · N5748M · Destroyed > the overtravel of the collective sleeve, which led to a severe and sudden reduction in main rotor blade collective pitch, resulting in a loss of control of the helicopter. The reason for the collective sleeve overtravel could not be determined since much of… - [NTSB CEN11LA315](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11LA315.md): Hughes 269B · Edgerton, IN · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 29, 2011 · N9561F · Substantial damage > A loss of clearance between the tail rotor drive shaft and the tailboom bulkhead for undetermined reasons, which resulted in the overstress failure of the drive shaft. - [NTSB WPR10TA318](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10TA318.md): Bell UH-1H · Santa Barbara, CA · Accident · No injuries · Final report · Jun 24, 2010 · N205KS · Substantial damage > The failure of left tailboom upper attachment fitting as a result of fatigue. - [NTSB CEN09LA565](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09LA565.md): Bell UH-1B · Arvilla, ND · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 6, 2009 · N204JB · Substantial damage > The aircraft owner/mechanic/pilot's installation of an improper tail boom assembly and the resulting fatigue failure of the tail boom's attach fittings. - [NTSB ERA09CA138](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09CA138.md): MD Helicopter 369E · Atlanta, GA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jan 20, 2009 · N369PD · Substantial damage > Wind gusts during engine shutdown, which resulted in the main rotor blades contacting the tailboom. - [NTSB CHI08CA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI08CA097.md): Hughes 269A · Franklin Furnac, OH · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Mar 21, 2008 · N9333V · Substantial damage > The fuel exhaustion during cruise flight and the unsuitable terrain encountered by the pilot-in-command. A contributing factor was the trees. ## 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."mKey" IN (SELECT f.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_findings.parquet' f WHERE starts_with(f."findingCode", '01035302')) ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC ``` This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035302/cases --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.