19980614045639A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Pauls Valley, OK · June 14, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: June 14, 1998 · 20:06 local
Place: Pauls Valley, OK
Airport: Municipal
Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5984X
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 1 in the last 90 days

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.

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 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.

As the FAA filed it

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 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.