What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The private pilot, who was the builder of the gyroplane, had logged about 21 hours of flight time in gyroplanes, but did not have a gyroplane rating. A witness observed the gyroplane's departure and climb-out from the airport. When the gyroplane was approximately 400-500 feet AGL, the witness observed the nose pitch down slightly, then rapidly upward about 40 degrees, then down rapidly about 40 degrees below horizontal then back up as before. The witness said the gyroplane then seemed to fall nearly vertically downward to the ground, and speculated that there was some sort of catastrophic failure to the aircraft. FAA inspectors, however, found no evidence of inflight breakup, or a main rotor blade strike of the empennage. (-23)June 9, 1998, at approximately 0545 MST, sportscopter N9261N, model steven james, s/n 001 impacted the ground. The pilot, who was sole occupant, was fatally injured. The aircraft burned after impact. Witnesses reported the aircraft was flying on an nw to se heading, about 1/4 mile NE (100 yards north of highway 2) of Chinook airport, Chinook, Montana. The aircraft was about 400 to 500 feet when it began to descend in altitude and then c limbed in altitude. After two of these porpoise effect motions the aircraft climbed then fell and impacted the ground in a nose down attitude. The aircraft impact was concentrated in an area of about 15 feet to 20 feet and outward to 100 feet in diameter. Larger pieces of main rotor blade were found about 60 feet and 36 feet away. The flight path was inspected with no aircraft parts found.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO WAS THE BUILDER OF THE GYROPLANE, HAD LOGGED ABOUT 21 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN GYROPLANES, BUT DID NOT HAVE A GYROPLANE RATING. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE GYROPLANE'S DEPARTURE AND CLIMB-OUT FROM THE AIRPORT. WHEN THE GYROPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 400-500 FEET AGL, THE WITNESS OBSERVED THE NOSE PITCH DOWN SLIGHTLY, THEN RAPIDLY UPWARD ABOUT 40 DEGREES, THEN DOWN RAPIDLY ABOUT 40 DEGREES BELOW HORIZONTAL THEN BACK UP AS BEFORE. THE WITNESS SAID THE GYROPLANE THEN SEEMED TO FALL NEARLY VERTICALLY DOWNWARD TO THE GROUND, AND SPECULATED THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE TO THE AIRCRAFT. FAA INSPECTORS, HOWEVER, FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF INFLIGHT BREAKUP, OR A MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRIKE OF THE EMPENNAGE. (-23)JUNE 9, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 0545 MST, SPORTSCOPTER N9261N, MODEL STEVEN JAMES, S/N 001 IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE PILOT, WHO WAS SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT BURNED AFTER IMPACT. WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING ON AN NW TO SE HEADING, ABOUT 1/4 MILE NE (100 YARDS NORTH OF HIGHWAY 2) OF CHINOOK AIRPORT, CHINOOK, MONTANA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 400 TO 500 FEET WHEN IT BEGAN TO DESCEND IN ALTITUDE AND THEN C LIMBED IN ALTITUDE. AFTER TWO OF THESE PORPOISE EFFECT MOTIONS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED THEN FELL AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT WAS CONCENTRATED IN AN AREA OF ABOUT 15 FEET TO 20 FEET AND OUTWARD TO 100 FEET IN DIAMETER. LARGER PIECES OF MAIN ROTOR BLADE WERE FOUND ABOUT 60 FEET AND 36 FEET AWAY. THE FLIGHT PATH WAS INSPECTED WITH NO AIRCRAFT PARTS FOUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.