19960404046319A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Carthage, TX · April 4, 1996

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Date: April 4, 1996 · 12:15 local
Place: Carthage, TX
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: NONE

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On April 4, 1996, @ approximately 1215 CST, an unregistered benson gyroplane operated by an uncertificated pilot sustained minor damage when a main rotor blade struck a bystander during a demonstration flight conducted at the aircraft owner's pasture near Carthage, Texas. The bystander sustained fatal head injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for this flight. According to the pilot, the bystander wanted to take pictures of a demonstration flight. The pilot agreed and briefed the bystander. Prior to takeoff roll, the pilot motioned for the bystander to move further off to the right and the bystander complied. During the takeoff roll, the bystander moved his camera up to his face to take pictures as the aircraft passed and was struck in the head.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON APRIL 4, 1996, @ APPROXIMATELY 1215 CST, AN UNREGISTERED BENSON GYROPLANE OPERATED BY AN UNCERTIFICATED PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN A MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK A BYSTANDER DURING A DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT CONDUCTED AT THE AIRCRAFT OWNER'S PASTURE NEAR CARTHAGE, TEXAS. THE BYSTANDER SUSTAINED FATAL HEAD INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THIS FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE BYSTANDER WANTED TO TAKE PICTURES OF A DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT. THE PILOT AGREED AND BRIEFED THE BYSTANDER. PRIOR TO TAKEOFF ROLL, THE PILOT MOTIONED FOR THE BYSTANDER TO MOVE FURTHER OFF TO THE RIGHT AND THE BYSTANDER COMPLIED. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE BYSTANDER MOVED HIS CAMERA UP TO HIS FACE TO TAKE PICTURES AS THE AIRCRAFT PASSED AND WAS STRUCK IN THE HEAD.