Los Angeles Airways Flight 417 was a Sikorsky S-61 helicopter that crashed on August 14, 1968 in the city of Compton, California.

[1] Los Angeles Airways (LAA) Flight 417, piloted by Captain Kenneth Lee Waggoner, former USMC helicopter pilot, was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Los Angeles International Airport to the Disneyland Heliport in Anaheim, California.

At 10:29:30 the flight reported to Hawthorne Tower that it was departing Los Angeles eastbound along Imperial Highway at 370 metres (1,200 ft).

A consensus of their observations indicates that the helicopter was proceeding along a normal flightpath when a loud noise or unusual sound was heard.

[1] N300Y,[3] a Sikorsky S-61L helicopter, serial number 61031 was the prototype for the S-61L, and had accumulated 11,863.64 total flying hours prior to the day of the accident.

[1] In the course of the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) they made the following findings:[1] Following the initial evidence of a metal fatigue type failure, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended on August 16, 1968 to the Federal Aviation Administration:[1] Based on its preliminary findings in the Compton crash investigation, the Safety Board today is recommending to the Federal Aviation Administrator that he (1) require an immediate fleet inspection of all Sikorsky S-61 helicopter spindle units; (2) adopt a more precise and frequent inspection to preclude future spindle unit failures; and (3) study the need for establishing a retirement life for this vital part.On the same date the FAA issued Emergency Airworthiness Directive 68-19-07.

The directive has since been amended twice and now requires the following action:[4] (a) Before further flight, remove main rotor blade spindles P/Ns S6110-23325-1, S6110-23325-2, and S6112-23025-1 that either have been "salvaged" in accordance with procedures set forth in paragraph entitled "Salvage of Spindle" contained in Sikorsky Aircraft Overhaul Manual for the pertinent helicopter model, or have accumulated 3000 or more hours' time in service on the effective date of this AD, and replace with blade spindles of the same part number that have not been "salvaged" and that have less than 3000 hours' time in service.