Eurocopter EC135 T1 crash near George Town, Cayman Islands

At the start of a training and search detail at Owen Roberts International Airport, the pilot of a Royal Cayman Islands Police Service EC135T1 lifted to about four feet when the cyclic shook and pushed back. He lowered the collective and the helicopter landed heavily, damaging the tail boom, landing gear and transmission deck. The longitudinal main rotor actuator had failed after a tie bar inside it corroded and cracked, probably from moisture ingress helped by the island climate. Safety action followed across the worldwide fleet and the actuator design was reviewed.