Accidents
S-97 Crash Damage More Severe Than First Reported
NTSB factual report enumerates extensive damage in 2017 crash of Sikorsky S-97 Raider compound helicopter.

The Sikorsky S-97 Raider technology demonstrator compound helicopter that crashed in August 2017 had substantial damage that included collapsed landing gear, structural cabin damage, propulsor blade damage, and tip damage on all eight main rotor blades of its coaxial system, according to an NTSB factual report issued last week. Other damage included vertical stabilizers and rudders fractured at the attach points on the horizontal stabilizer, the tail wheel fractured at the strut mount, and collapse of the main landing gear—all damage as the result of ground contact, the report said.