# Accident 19980527011029A: Amtr VORTEX, Monroe, WI, May 27, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 27, 1998, 11:35 local time
- Place: Monroe, WI
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.5898° N, 89.6390° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5898&lon=-89.6390&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1025Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1025Y-2004-12-16) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Waters Clyde VORTEX (registry code 05603FA, https://openairdocs.org/model/waters-clyde-vortex) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Bombardier ROTAX (ALL) (registry code 09050, https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR VORTEX
- Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX582
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,360 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA176](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA176) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980527011029A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI98LA176](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA176), May 27, 1998: Waters Vortex (N1025Y), Monroe, WI, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM. A factor associated with the accident was the soft terrain on which the gyrocopter touched down.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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