- Date
- December 10, 2024, 12:10 local (20:10 UTC)
- Place
- Los Alamitos, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N913WBEurocopter AS 350 B2
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20241210018949A
- Case key
- 199405
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 student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a run-on landing and the flight instructor’s excessive correction which resulted in impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Findings · 3
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 flight instructor of the helicopter reported that after acknowledging a landing clearance, he activated the HYD TEST switch to simulate a hydraulics failure. The student pilot responded to the simulated emergency and initiated a shallow approach for a “running” or run-on landing. Upon touchdown the helicopter veered left, toward the edge of the runway. The flight instructor applied corrective cyclic movement, which resulted in the helicopter becoming airborne. The flight instructor took control of the helicopter but struggled to maintain control without hydraulic assistance. The helicopter yawed to the left uncontrollably and impacted the ground. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the helicopter on runway 04R with wind from 050° at 4 knots, gusting 12 knots. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N913WB
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS 350 B2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4491
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 17,134
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARRIEL 1D1, 712 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Public use
- Operator
- Lapd Air Support Division
- Registered owner
- Lapd Air Support Division
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- SLI · Los Alamitos Aaf, runway 4R, 7,999 × 200 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 11, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,917 total · 1,775 in this make and model · 1,721 as pilot in command · 98 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 39 total · 39 in this make and model · 0.4 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 1.9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point -18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- KSLI
- METAR
- METAR KSLI 101955Z 07012KT 10SM FEW050 25/M28 A3023 RMK AO2A SLP240 T02451280=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 22, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 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.