# Accident 20220925018979A: Hartunian Robert PULSAR XP, Big Bear City, CA, September 25, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 25, 2022, 09:30 local time
- Place: Big Bear City, CA
- Airport: Big Bear City
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.2638° N, 116.8560° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2638&lon=-116.8560&mi=10
- Aircraft: N204BH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N204BH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hartunian Robert PULSAR XP (registry code 056170X, https://openairdocs.org/model/hartunian-robert-pulsar-xp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax SEE BOMBADIER (registry code 55555, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-see-bombadier) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HARTUNIAN ROBERT PULSAR XP
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,800 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR22LA355](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA355) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220925018979A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2022 UPON LANDING RUNWAY 26 AT BIG BEAR AIRPORT (L35) THE PILOT EXPERIENCED LEFT BRAKE FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT A PULSAR PULSAR XP EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT WENT OFF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND ULTIMATELY RAN INTO A HANGAR WITH THE LEFT WING MAKING FIRST CONTACT FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. NOBODY ON THE GROUND WAS INJURIED. THE HANGAR SUSTAINED NON-STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO ONE OF ITS OUTER SIDE WALLS.

THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURE DID NOT PROVIDE A CHECKLIST BUT HE WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE THE MANUFACTURE FIRST FLIGHT APPROACH TEST SPEED STATEMENT "WHEN YOU TURN ONTO FINAL APPROACH YOU SHOULD MAINTAIN 70 MPH, OR 15 MPH ABOVE THE STALL SPEED YOU OBSERVED". THE PILOT SAID THIS AIRCRAFT MODEL TENDS TO HAVE A NOSE WHEEL SHIMMY ISSUE ON LANDING ROLLOUT. THE FREE CASTORING NOSE WHEEL HAS A NOSE DAMPENING SYSTEM BUILT INTO THE ATTACHING MECHANISM. THE TECHNIQUE HE IDENTIFIED HE USED TO ELIMINATE THE SHIMMY PROBLEM IF IT OCCURS IS TO LIFT THE NOSE WHEEL OFF THE GROUND AND USE AERODYNAMIC BRAKING AS LONG AS POSSIBLE WHICH USUALLY GETS THE AIRCRAFT BELOW THE SHIMMYING SPEED.

THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE NOSE LANDING GEAR, A COMPLETE SEPERATION OF THE ENGINE MOUNTING BRACKET FROM THE FUSELAGE, FIREWALL DAMAGE FROM ENGINE IMPACT, LEFT AND RIGHTWING REAR ATTACH POINT DAMAGE ON FUSELAGE, AND BOTH WINGS HAD REAR ATTACHMENT POINT SEPARATION WHICH INCLUDED THE ADJACENT WING RIBS.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR22LA355](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA355), Sep 25, 2022: Hartunian Robert Pulsar XP (N204BH), Big Bear, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inability to maintain directional control after landing with an excessive ground speed due to a tailwind which, resulted in a severe shimmy which subsequently damaged a hydraulic brake…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.