Helicopter's tail rotor malfunctioned before Huntington Beach crash, preliminary report finds

Just as a pilot was preparing to land a helicopter in Huntington Beach last month, a malfunction on its tail rotor caused the chopper to crash into a staircase, leaving five injured, according to a preliminary report.

The National Transportation Safety Board's report called the Oct. 11 crash an accident. Just after 2 p.m. local time near a parking lot off Pacific Coast Highway, between Beach Boulevard and Twin Dolphins Drive, the Bell 222 helicopter crashed into the staircase leading to a pedestrian bridge that runs over Pacific Coast Highway to the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa. 

The pilot was descending above a parking lot where he was intending to land when the helicopter's nose suddenly veered left. He then heard a loud noise from the left rear side.

He attempted to gain more altitude again to depart the landing site by increasing the helicopter's power, but he lost control. The helicopter then spun to its right, eventually crashing into the staircase.

Prior to the landing attempt, "One of the tail rotor pitch links was disconnected from a tail rotor blade," the report found. The tail rotor gearbox separated and partially fell out of the sky during the landing attempt, causing the helicopter to spin out of control.

The NTSB is continuing to investigate the crash.

A total of five people were injured — two aboard the helicopter and three on the ground. All are expected to make full recoveries.