What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Gyroplane observed flying low over airport. Rotor blades struck hangar. Seperated rotor from aircraft. (From .4) witnesses observed the pilot flying the gyroplane around the airport at a 'low altitude' for about 30-35 minutes, and then land. The pilot made adjustments to the rotor head trim and then took off again. The witnesses reported that the pilot 'did a lot of very low flying between hangars, [and] never got over 15-20 feet high.' A witness reported that the pilot made another low pass over them close to the north end of a hangar. The pilot then flew down the nw runway and to the west out of their view. When the aircraft returned from the west, it was about 10 to 12 feet AGL. As the aircraft came around the hangar, a rotor blade struck the hangar door support, separating the rotor blade from the aircraft. The gyroplane came to rest inverted. The pilot was wearing a helmet; however, the strap did not have a buckle. (-23) pilot was operating the aircraft at low level (below 2O' AGL) and struck hangar door rail structure with rotor. The strike caused instantaneous catastrophic failure of one rotor blade and the mast. Gyroplane came to res t 135' from point of initial contact after rolling over twice on the ground.
As the FAA filed it
GYROPLANE OBSERVED FLYING LOW OVER AIRPORT. ROTOR BLADES STRUCK HANGAR. SEPERATED ROTOR FROM AIRCRAFT. (FROM .4) WITNESSES OBSERVED THE PILOT FLYING THE GYROPLANE AROUND THE AIRPORT AT A 'LOW ALTITUDE' FOR ABOUT 30-35 MINUTES, AND THEN LAND. THE PILOT MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE ROTOR HEAD TRIM AND THEN TOOK OFF AGAIN. THE WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE PILOT 'DID A LOT OF VERY LOW FLYING BETWEEN HANGARS, [AND] NEVER GOT OVER 15-20 FEET HIGH.' A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE PILOT MADE ANOTHER LOW PASS OVER THEM CLOSE TO THE NORTH END OF A HANGAR. THE PILOT THEN FLEW DOWN THE NW RUNWAY AND TO THE WEST OUT OF THEIR VIEW. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED FROM THE WEST, IT WAS ABOUT 10 TO 12 FEET AGL. AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME AROUND THE HANGAR, A ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE HANGAR DOOR SUPPORT, SEPARATING THE ROTOR BLADE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE GYROPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE PILOT WAS WEARING A HELMET; HOWEVER, THE STRAP DID NOT HAVE A BUCKLE. (-23) PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT AT LOW LEVEL (BELOW 2O' AGL) AND STRUCK HANGAR DOOR RAIL STRUCTURE WITH ROTOR. THE STRIKE CAUSED INSTANTANEOUS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF ONE ROTOR BLADE AND THE MAST. GYROPLANE CAME TO RES T 135' FROM POINT OF INITIAL CONTACT AFTER ROLLING OVER TWICE ON THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.