What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Chopper was losing rotary power, and the pilot made an emerg landing in a field. Acft landed hard and sustained dam (.4)the pilot stated that shortly after departure while at about 1,200 feet above ground level, he felt the gyroplane slowing down and he noticed a loss of rotor RPM. He initiated an emergency descent and elected to land straight ahead in a cultivated field. The pilot initiated a 180 degree turn to avoid tree and the gyroplane descended to impact with the terrain. The left landing gear dug into the soft plowed field and the gyroplane rolled over onto its left side. Post accident inspection of the gyroplane failed to reveal any mechanical failure and/or malfunction which would have prevented normal operation. The pilot installed a pre-rotor system on the gyroplane the weekend before the accident. (-23) the pilot of N1025Y, a sport chopper-Vortex, gyroplane, departed the Monroe municipal airport, Monroe, WI enroute to davis, IL. This is a flight of about 25 NM southeast in direction. Within about 2-4 miles of the Monroe airport the pilot reported a loss of engine and rotor RPM but normal en gine sounds. He elected to land straight ahead. During his descent he determined he would not clear trees to his front. The pilot executed a left 180 degree turn, which resulted in a left quartering tail wind of about 5 knots. Aircraft touched down twice before coming to rest on its left side. Suspect pilot allowed airspeed to deteriorate in flight causing a loss of rotor RPM. During the autorotative turn suspect further deterioration of airspeed. The right main landing gear wheel was deflated and had dirt marks on it consistent with the surrounding soil. Suspect right main gear touched down first followed by the left main gear. These two impacts set up a rolling motion, to the left, that the pilot was unable to arrest. This rolling motion, coupled with the loose soil, caused the aircraft to roll over on its left side. Suspect the pilot lacked sufficient ability to execute a successful, near zero groundspeed, autorotation. Pilot's inability to execute a successful autorotation resulted from a lack of sufficient instruction, in this type of aircraft, from an authorized flight instructor.
As the FAA filed it
CHOPPER WAS LOSING ROTARY POWER, AND THE PILOT MADE AN EMERG LANDING IN A FIELD. ACFT LANDED HARD AND SUSTAINED DAM (.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE WHILE AT ABOUT 1,200 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, HE FELT THE GYROPLANE SLOWING DOWN AND HE NOTICED A LOSS OF ROTOR RPM. HE INITIATED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT AND ELECTED TO LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD IN A CULTIVATED FIELD. THE PILOT INITIATED A 180 DEGREE TURN TO AVOID TREE AND THE GYROPLANE DESCENDED TO IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR DUG INTO THE SOFT PLOWED FIELD AND THE GYROPLANE ROLLED OVER ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE GYROPLANE FAILED TO REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE AND/OR MALFUNCTION WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED NORMAL OPERATION. THE PILOT INSTALLED A PRE-ROTOR SYSTEM ON THE GYROPLANE THE WEEKEND BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. (-23) THE PILOT OF N1025Y, A SPORT CHOPPER-VORTEX, GYROPLANE, DEPARTED THE MONROE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, MONROE, WI ENROUTE TO DAVIS, IL. THIS IS A FLIGHT OF ABOUT 25 NM SOUTHEAST IN DIRECTION. WITHIN ABOUT 2-4 MILES OF THE MONROE AIRPORT THE PILOT REPORTED A LOSS OF ENGINE AND ROTOR RPM BUT NORMAL EN GINE SOUNDS. HE ELECTED TO LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD. DURING HIS DESCENT HE DETERMINED HE WOULD NOT CLEAR TREES TO HIS FRONT. THE PILOT EXECUTED A LEFT 180 DEGREE TURN, WHICH RESULTED IN A LEFT QUARTERING TAIL WIND OF ABOUT 5 KNOTS. AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN TWICE BEFORE COMING TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. SUSPECT PILOT ALLOWED AIRSPEED TO DETERIORATE IN FLIGHT CAUSING A LOSS OF ROTOR RPM. DURING THE AUTOROTATIVE TURN SUSPECT FURTHER DETERIORATION OF AIRSPEED. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL WAS DEFLATED AND HAD DIRT MARKS ON IT CONSISTENT WITH THE SURROUNDING SOIL. SUSPECT RIGHT MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN FIRST FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. THESE TWO IMPACTS SET UP A ROLLING MOTION, TO THE LEFT, THAT THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO ARREST. THIS ROLLING MOTION, COUPLED WITH THE LOOSE SOIL, CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL OVER ON ITS LEFT SIDE. SUSPECT THE PILOT LACKED SUFFICIENT ABILITY TO EXECUTE A SUCCESSFUL, NEAR ZERO GROUNDSPEED, AUTOROTATION. PILOT'S INABILITY TO EXECUTE A SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATION RESULTED FROM A LACK OF SUFFICIENT INSTRUCTION, IN THIS TYPE OF AIRCRAFT, FROM AN AUTHORIZED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.