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WPR25LA058

2024-12-10 · Los Alamitos, California, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SLI

Current FAA registration · N913WB

Make / Model
EUROCOPTER AS 350 B2
Year of manufacture
2008 · 16 years old at event
Engine
TURBOMECA ARRIEL 1D1 (712 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20100714
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S ACA3C6

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

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.

Factual narrative

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

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Delayed action-Instructor/check pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_WPR25LA058.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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