Event WPR23LA170

2023-04-28 Van Nuys, California, United States Airport · KVNY None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N549TS

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44 II

Year of manufacture

2006 · 17 years old at event

TCDS

H11NM · ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO

Engine

LYCOMING IO-540 SER (300 hp)

Seats / Engines

4 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20060208

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A6FB15

Registrant of record

AGGREGATE MATERIAL SERVICES LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N549TS ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain lateral control of the helicopter, which resulted in a hard landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that while picking up to reposition, the helicopter initiated a roll to the left. While attempting to recover, the helicopter impacted the ground and the left skid collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the tail rotor. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. 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).

— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Lateral/bank control-Not attained/maintained
— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained
— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_WPR23LA170.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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