19980818021269A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr BARNETTJ4B · Marysville, CA · August 18, 1998

Date: August 18, 1998 · 12:08 local
Place: Marysville, CA
Airport: Yuba County Airport
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N694
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX98LA271
Reported as: Amtr BARNETTJ4B
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 35 total

N694Registration cancelled Jan 23, 2018 · Clark Jesse BARNETT J4B2S/N 169 · Built 1997 Airframe modelClark Jesse BARNETT J4B2 Engine modelSubaru ALL MDLS A/B4 cycle

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.

Gyro copter was approx 30 feet above the ground when it lost a main rotor blade and crashed. (-23)rotorcraft was flying up and down the taxiway when in a turn, the rotorcraft rotorblades hit the ground. At this time, the rotorcraft impacted the ground causing substantial damage. Pilot was not hurt. (.4) the student pilot was testing out a new set of rotor blades that he had recently changed out. The pilot reported that the gyrocopter unexpectedly shot straight up into the air 50 feet during the takeoff ground roll. He had trouble maintaining control, stating that the aircraft immediately yawed to the left and it felt like the left rudder was being held. The pilot made a pattern circuit and decided to land in a dirt area adjacent to the runway. He said he landed nose low in soft dirt, which broke the nose wheel off, slid 30 feet and then nosed over. An FAA inspector examined the aircraft and reported that the main rotor, rotor head, and the empennage control surfaces were destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

GYRO COPTER WAS APPROX 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN IT LOST A MAIN ROTOR BLADE AND CRASHED. (-23)ROTORCRAFT WAS FLYING UP AND DOWN THE TAXIWAY WHEN IN A TURN, THE ROTORCRAFT ROTORBLADES HIT THE GROUND. AT THIS TIME, THE ROTORCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. PILOT WAS NOT HURT. (.4) THE STUDENT PILOT WAS TESTING OUT A NEW SET OF ROTOR BLADES THAT HE HAD RECENTLY CHANGED OUT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE GYROCOPTER UNEXPECTEDLY SHOT STRAIGHT UP INTO THE AIR 50 FEET DURING THE TAKEOFF GROUND ROLL. HE HAD TROUBLE MAINTAINING CONTROL, STATING THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY YAWED TO THE LEFT AND IT FELT LIKE THE LEFT RUDDER WAS BEING HELD. THE PILOT MADE A PATTERN CIRCUIT AND DECIDED TO LAND IN A DIRT AREA ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. HE SAID HE LANDED NOSE LOW IN SOFT DIRT, WHICH BROKE THE NOSE WHEEL OFF, SLID 30 FEET AND THEN NOSED OVER. AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AND REPORTED THAT THE MAIN ROTOR, ROTOR HEAD, AND THE EMPENNAGE CONTROL SURFACES WERE DESTROYED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX98LA271Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMarysville, CAThe pilot's inadequate rigging of the rotor blades and rudder, which led to an inability to maintain control of the gryocopter. The pilot's inadequate landing flare in soft terrain, which resulted in a nose low touchdown and subsequent nose over, and, his…Aug 18, 1998 · Destroyed