N86235 - Enstrom 280fx, S/N 2002, built 1985. It had 9,300 hours total time. Through the grapevine I heard that it was formerly operated by a California police department (Pasadena?) and that it had a "hard landing" and tail/blade strike with one of its previous owners.
From the type certificate
(H1CE), the MR spindle appears the be an "on condition" item.
The location of the cracks would have made it impossible to inspect for them without removing the retention nut for the spindle, which only comes off to replace the lamiflex bearing.
http://www.enstromhelicopter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Spindle-MPI-SDB-0119-T-050.pdf
I don't believe there was any age/hours inspection schedule in place. I suspect that there are inadequate post-accident inspection and replacement procedures that should be changed.