A laptop can be dropped onto a table or floor from 3 or 4 feet, while running, hard drive damage is likely but no visible damage to the laptop is possible. Even a drop from one foot could damage a functioning hard drive. If you do something that keeps it actively searching the drive, rather than being parked, and drop it, damage is even more likely.
Open the “Search” function, for example and have it search the entire drive for a specific term, the hard drive will be constantly seeking during the entire operation., Drop it during that operation, from 3 feet, good chance of this kind of damage. Most hard drives spin at least 5400 RPM, that’s 90 spins per second. Concentric means aligned on the same axis as the drive is mounted, which sounds a lot like a drive head impact while running.
Laptop drives have accelerometers that detect free fall. When the sensor detects a fall, the controller parks the heads, preventing a head crash on impact.
If you want to destroy a drive without leaving tracks, a good strategy would be to make the drive busy, then hold it up level and strike it from below with a rubber mallet or such. No time for the fall sensor to work. Start with a soft blow. Increase the intensity until the system crashes.