# NTSB investigations, CA: Rotor failure/malfunction

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 LAX02FA276](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX02FA276.md): Bell 222U · Nipton, CA · Accident · 3 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Sep 7, 2002 · N417MA · Destroyed
  > The main rotor blade separation while maneuvering for unknown reasons. A factor was the dark night condition.
- [NTSB LAX00FA306](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00FA306.md): Robinson R22 Beta · Watsonville, CA · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 19, 2000 · N8313Z · Destroyed
  > The divergence of the main rotor from its normal plane of rotation for an undetermined reason, which resulted in mast bumping and rotor contact with the fuselage.
- [NTSB LAX98TA278](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98TA278.md): Aerospatiale SA316B · Porterville, CA · Accident · No injuries · Final report · Aug 27, 1998 · N605RA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate in-flight clearance between the bucket and trees resulting in the entanglement/separation of the long line and subsequent impact with and separation of the tail rotor assembly. A factor was the trees.
- [NTSB LAX98FA236](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98FA236.md): Sikorsky CH-54A · Yucca Valley, CA · Accident · 3 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 18, 1998 · N64KL · Destroyed
  > An in-flight main rotor blade spar separation as a result of the pilot-in-command's decision to continue to fly the aircraft after it had failed an AD directed BIM check. Factors were the failure of the operator's chief pilot to maintain proper supervision…
- [NTSB LAX98GA127](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98GA127.md): Bell 205A-1 · Los Angeles, CA · Accident · 4 fatal · Final report · Mar 23, 1998 · N90230 · Destroyed
  > An excessive bending load applied to the tail rotor blade assembly of an undetermined origin which produced a fatigue crack, the separation of the assembly, and a forced landing. Factors were the lack of suitable terrain to perform a forced landing, the…
- [NTSB LAX95FA225](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX95FA225.md): Hughes 369D · Highland, CA · Accident · Serious injuries · Field investigation · Final report · Jun 26, 1995 · N1089N · Substantial damage
  > the pilot's failure to verify the security of his passenger's cargo/personal belongings which departed the aircraft striking the tailrotor.

## 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" = 'CA' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT o.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_occurrences.parquet' o WHERE o."occurrenceNumber" = 1 AND o."occurrenceCode" = 132)
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb?occurrence=132&state=CA

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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.
