This animation shows the LAFD Bell 205A-1 helicopter and zooms into the tail rotor yoke, disassembling all parts on the way. It includes a depiction of the removal of the tail rotor blades, the crosshead, the trunnion set with deformable flapping stops, the indicator, balance arm, control tube, and all bolts, bushings, washers, and nuts.

Baum Hedlund had this animation prepared as one of several to be shown as evidence during the 2006 product liability trial at Los Angeles Superior Court against Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., and Bell Technical Services, Inc. The trial was conducted by lead trial counsel Ronald L. M. Goldman and J. Clark Aristei of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman.

History: A Bell Model 205A-1 helicopter, owned and operated by the LAFD crashed in Griffith Park during an airlift rescue operation in Los Angeles on March 23, 1998. The helicopter was airlifting an injured child from a car accident when the helicopter's tail rotor yoke failed and caused the aircraft to crash, destroying the helicopter and killing the child, two LAFD paramedics and an LAFD helicopter apparatus operator.

View Other Bell Helicopter Crash Animations

Tail Rotor Loss	Shot Peening	Flexure Loss	Cracking Yoke

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