What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23 &.19) On July 15, 1998, at 0745 central daylight time, an air command international inc., C-147A, N147GY, experimental gyrocopter, was destroyed following a loss of control while landing at the Caddo Mills Municipal Airport, Caddo Mills, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the gyrocopter, was fatally injured. The owner and operator, air command international inc., conducted the test flight under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated from the Caddo Mills Municipal Airport approximately 0600. A company flight plan was filed. A witness, who was located northwest of runway 17 and recording technical data for air command international inc., was observing the single-engine gyrocopter flights. This witness reported that the gyrocopter had flown approximately 60 hours in the past three years and it was being flight tested at the time of the accident. The witness reported that he had radio communications with the pilot and on the morning of the accident, the gyrocopter had performed approximately 6 landings at Caddo Mills Municipal Airport. Just prior to the accident, the pilot relayed technical information to the witnness and did not report any problems. The witness was talking on his mobile phone and observing the gyrocopter. He diverted his attention from the aircraft and when he redirected his attention to the gyrocopter, he reported that "pieces had separated" from the aircraft and it was in a "nose low attitude descending." The gyrocopter came to rest in a grassy area on the airport, approximately 700 feet east of runway 17. A post-impact fire erupted and the aircraft was destroyed. The national transportation safety board investigator-in-charge conducted an on-scene examination of the site. The gyrocopter was distributed along a path 363 in length from the first piece of wreckage, which was a section of the left rudder. The main wreckage came to rest at 341 feet and on a heading of 190 degrees. The main rotor hub separated from the gyrocopter, and the main rotor blades remained attached to the main rotor hub. One rotor blade was bent approximately 70 degrees and contained red and black paint transfer marks. The second main rotor blade did not bend. The rudder assembly separated from the gyrocopter. The left rudder was found in pieces along the distribution path and the right rudder remained intact.
As the FAA filed it
(-23 &.19) ON JULY 15, 1998, AT 0745 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIR COMMAND INTERNATIONAL INC., C-147A, N147GY, EXPERIMENTAL GYROCOPTER, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE LANDING AT THE CADDO MILLS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, CADDO MILLS, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE GYROCOPTER, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE OWNER AND OPERATOR, AIR COMMAND INTERNATIONAL INC., CONDUCTED THE TEST FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM THE CADDO MILLS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 0600. A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. A WITNESS, WHO WAS LOCATED NORTHWEST OF RUNWAY 17 AND RECORDING TECHNICAL DATA FOR AIR COMMAND INTERNATIONAL INC., WAS OBSERVING THE SINGLE-ENGINE GYROCOPTER FLIGHTS. THIS WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE GYROCOPTER HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 60 HOURS IN THE PAST THREE YEARS AND IT WAS BEING FLIGHT TESTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT HE HAD RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PILOT AND ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT, THE GYROCOPTER HAD PERFORMED APPROXIMATELY 6 LANDINGS AT CADDO MILLS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT RELAYED TECHNICAL INFORMATION TO THE WITNNESS AND DID NOT REPORT ANY PROBLEMS. THE WITNESS WAS TALKING ON HIS MOBILE PHONE AND OBSERVING THE GYROCOPTER. HE DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WHEN HE REDIRECTED HIS ATTENTION TO THE GYROCOPTER, HE REPORTED THAT "PIECES HAD SEPARATED" FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND IT WAS IN A "NOSE LOW ATTITUDE DESCENDING." THE GYROCOPTER CAME TO REST IN A GRASSY AREA ON THE AIRPORT, APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET EAST OF RUNWAY 17. A POST-IMPACT FIRE ERUPTED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE CONDUCTED AN ON-SCENE EXAMINATION OF THE SITE. THE GYROCOPTER WAS DISTRIBUTED ALONG A PATH 363 IN LENGTH FROM THE FIRST PIECE OF WRECKAGE, WHICH WAS A SECTION OF THE LEFT RUDDER. THE MAIN WRECKAGE CAME TO REST AT 341 FEET AND ON A HEADING OF 190 DEGREES. THE MAIN ROTOR HUB SEPARATED FROM THE GYROCOPTER, AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE MAIN ROTOR HUB. ONE ROTOR BLADE WAS BENT APPROXIMATELY 70 DEGREES AND CONTAINED RED AND BLACK PAINT TRANSFER MARKS. THE SECOND MAIN ROTOR BLADE DID NOT BEND. THE RUDDER ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE GYROCOPTER. THE LEFT RUDDER WAS FOUND IN PIECES ALONG THE DISTRIBUTION PATH AND THE RIGHT RUDDER REMAINED INTACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.