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Posted: Saturday, March 24th, 2007 6:36 AM HST

Helicopter pilot saw missing tail rotor, report finds

By Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) _ An initial inspection of the tail rotor gearbox from the helicopter that crashed on Kauai last week showed that all the breaks were typical of overstress fractures. That's according to a National Transportation Safety Board report. Nearing the end of a sightseeing tour, the Inter-Island helicopter lost its tail rotor. Pilot Donald Torres tried to execute an autorotation landing, but the aircraft entered into a tight spin. It crashed into a Y-M-C-A camp and killing one passenger. A final report by the board could take a year or more to complete. The March 11th helicopter crash in Haena was the second in four days on Kauai. Michael Gershon of Walnut Creek, California, died in the crash. Torres says he conducted a thorough preflight inspection of the helicopter that morning. (Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved)