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19971015031349A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr HAWK 2X · Tooele, UT · October 15, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 15, 1997 · 14:16 local
Place
Tooele, UT
Airport
Tooele South Army Depot Wos
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4412X
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW98LA015
Reported as
Amtr HAWK2X
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
12,663 total6 in this make and model48 in the last 90 days
N4412XRegistration cancelled Apr 18, 2018 · Sego Tool HAWK 2XS/N 201X · Built 1996Airframe modelSego Tool HAWK 2XEngine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

Homebuilt hawk 2X gyro came down shortly after takeoff nose gear struck rock, flipped over, Tooele, UT. (.4)according to the pilot, he was taking off for one of a series of flight tests. He reported that shortly after liftoff, the gyroplane made an uncommanded roll to the right. The pilot said that he applied full left cyclic and full left rudder, but the main rotor system struck the ground. The main rotor blades separated from the gyroplane and the aircraft came to rest with the fuselage twisted. Postcrash examination of the gyroplane by the design/manufacturing team revealed that the control system design of this aircraft had an inherent lag in time between control input and aircraft response. They found the runway that the gyroplane was taking off from slopped 1.7 to 1.8 degrees to the left. They said that 'the moment the aircraft left the ground, gravity moved the fuselage to the left and the rotor disk to the right.' Subsequently, a right turn was initiated and ground contact was made by the main rotor disk before the pilot's correction inputs could take effect.

As the FAA filed it

HOMEBUILT HAWK 2X GYRO CAME DOWN SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF NOSE GEAR STRUCK ROCK, FLIPPED OVER, TOOELE, UT. (.4)ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS TAKING OFF FOR ONE OF A SERIES OF FLIGHT TESTS. HE REPORTED THAT SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF, THE GYROPLANE MADE AN UNCOMMANDED ROLL TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE APPLIED FULL LEFT CYCLIC AND FULL LEFT RUDDER, BUT THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM STRUCK THE GROUND. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES SEPARATED FROM THE GYROPLANE AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST WITH THE FUSELAGE TWISTED. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE GYROPLANE BY THE DESIGN/MANUFACTURING TEAM REVEALED THAT THE CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGN OF THIS AIRCRAFT HAD AN INHERENT LAG IN TIME BETWEEN CONTROL INPUT AND AIRCRAFT RESPONSE. THEY FOUND THE RUNWAY THAT THE GYROPLANE WAS TAKING OFF FROM SLOPPED 1.7 TO 1.8 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. THEY SAID THAT 'THE MOMENT THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE GROUND, GRAVITY MOVED THE FUSELAGE TO THE LEFT AND THE ROTOR DISK TO THE RIGHT.' SUBSEQUENTLY, A RIGHT TURN WAS INITIATED AND GROUND CONTACT WAS MADE BY THE MAIN ROTOR DISK BEFORE THE PILOT'S CORRECTION INPUTS COULD TAKE EFFECT.

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 FTW98LA015Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportTooele, UTThe pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. Contributing was the inadequate design of the flight control systems, resulting in slow response to pilot input.Oct 15, 1997 · Substantial damage