# NTSB investigations, 1998: 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 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 CHI98FA313](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98FA313.md): Hiller FH-1100 · Dewitt, MI · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 14, 1998 · N8171U · Destroyed
  > The rotor failure/malfunction due to debonding of the tail rotor blade. Also causal was the inadequate maintenance inspection of the aircraft by the company and the improper maintenance procedure by other maintenance personnel.
- [NTSB IAD98FA092](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98FA092.md): Austin Revolution Mini 500 · Northampton, PA · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 11, 1998 · N2XK · Destroyed
  > the improper maintenance adjustment and the failure to properly torque the pitch-change link barrel by the owner/builder which resulted in main rotor to tailboom contact and main rotor separation.
- [NTSB SEA98LA160](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA160.md): McDonnell Douglas 369D · Oso, WA · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 10, 1998 · N1096L · Substantial damage
  > The separation of the 90 degree gearbox and tail rotor assembly for undetermined reasons followed by the inability of the pilot-in-command to maintain control of the rotorcraft.
- [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 SEA98LA124](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA124.md): Hiller UH-12E · Eltopia, WA · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 7, 1998 · N5360V · Destroyed
  > Fatigue of the control rotor blade spar and failure of the maintenance inspector to follow the procedures set forth in the airworthiness directive.
- [NTSB ATL98LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA065.md): Schweizer 269C · San Juan, PR · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 27, 1998 · N61193 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to adequately secure the cargo strap which became entangled in the tail rotor, leading to a loss of the tail rotor control. This was followed by an improperly executed emergency procedure and an in-flight collision with the ground. A…
- [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…

## 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 year(c."eventDate") = 1998
  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&year=1998

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