19970710019149A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr RAF2000 · Conroe, TX · July 10, 1997

Date: July 10, 1997 · 08:05 local
Place: Conroe, TX
Airport: Montgomery County Airport
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6826Z
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW97LA278
Reported as: Amtr RAF2000
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 557 total17 in this make and model17 in the last 90 days

N6826ZRegistration cancelled May 20, 2015 · Watts Ted G RAF 2000 GYROPLANES/N H2-93-4-96 · Built 1994 Airframe modelWatts Ted G RAF 2000 GYROPLANE Engine modelSubaru ALL MDLS A/B4 cycle

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.

Lost control on initial climbout. Gyroplane rotors hit ground. Rolled over. Impact bent mast and both rotor blades. (-23) the aircraft is a ted g. watts - raf 2000 gyroplane. Pilot reported that he had departed runway 01 and lost control at approximately 10 feet AGL. The gyroplane oscillated right, then left. The rotor blades contacted the ground, and the gyroplane rolled onto its side. The mast of the gyroplane was bent approximately 120 degrees and both rotor blades had incurred structural damage.

As the FAA filed it

LOST CONTROL ON INITIAL CLIMBOUT. GYROPLANE ROTORS HIT GROUND. ROLLED OVER. IMPACT BENT MAST AND BOTH ROTOR BLADES. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT IS A TED G. WATTS - RAF 2000 GYROPLANE. PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED RUNWAY 01 AND LOST CONTROL AT APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET AGL. THE GYROPLANE OSCILLATED RIGHT, THEN LEFT. THE ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE GROUND, AND THE GYROPLANE ROLLED ONTO ITS SIDE. THE MAST OF THE GYROPLANE WAS BENT APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES AND BOTH ROTOR BLADES HAD INCURRED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW97LA278Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportConroe, TXThe pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. A factor was his premature liftoff at low airspeed.Jul 10, 1997 · Substantial damage