- Date
- September 25, 2022, 09:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Big Bear, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N204BHHartunian Robert Pulsar XP
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20220925018979A
- Case key
- 106006
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 line.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot in the experimental amateur-built tricycle landing gear equipped airplane reported that, he was not aware that a 10-mph tailwind existed during landing. He normally touches down at 90 mph, however with the tailwind, the airplane’s ground speed was 104 mph when the airplane touched down and a severe shimmy ensued. The pilot applied the brakes, however the left side brake failed, and the airplane veered right, exited the right side of the runway, and subsequently impacted a hangar. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and engine mounts. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the left main landing gear wheel pant inboard bracket rivets failed, and the wheel pant severed the plastic hydraulic brake line.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N204BH
- Reported as
- Hartunian Robert Pulsar XP
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 468
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 1,501
- Engine
- Rotax 912S, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · November 29, 2021 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- APV · Apple Valley, CA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- L35 · Big Bear City Airport, runway 26, 5,850 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 83
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,892 total · 1,501 in this make and model · 1,892 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.41 inHg
- Observed at
- KL35
- METAR
- KL35 251635Z AUTO 07004KT 10SM CLR 20/10 A3041 RMK AO2
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 28, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.