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Atlas / NTSB / WPR22LA355

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event WPR22LA355

2022-09-25 Big Bear, California, United States Airport · L35 Minor 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N204BH

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

AERO DESIGNS INC PULSAR XP

Year of manufacture

2004 · 18 years old at event

Engine

ROTAX SEE BOMBADIER

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20041114

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A1A100

Registrant of record

HARTUNIAN ROBERT

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

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.

Factual narrative

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. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Effect on operation
  • Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Attain/maintain not possible
  • Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Surface speed/braking-Not attained/maintained
  • Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Brake-Damaged/degraded

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2022_WPR22LA355.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.