What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed on rollout after descent from twenty foot hover. (.19) on December 16, 1998, at 1131 pacific standard time, a elliot raf 2000 gyroplane, N797X, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at Walla Walla, Washington. The pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured. There was no fire, and no report of an ELT actuating. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed for the local flight. The pilot reported that he was practicing taxi tests and 20 foot hovers on runway 16/34, when the aircraft crashed on rollout after descent from 20 feet. The gyroplane rolled over on its side. (-23) the pilot stated that he was landing following a taxi-hover flight down a portion of the runway. The aircraft landed first on the main landing gear and when the nose gear settled to the runway, the aircraft swerved sharply to the left resulting in the aircraft rolling onto its right side. The pilot noted that he had been correcting for a crosswind with the left rudder and had obviously touched down with the rudder applied. The aircraft has obviously rolled to its right side due to visual damage which destroyed y/r blades, destroyed pusher propeller, a b ent m/r mast, broken rudder and verticle stabilizer, and skid damage to canopy and plexiglass.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED ON ROLLOUT AFTER DESCENT FROM TWENTY FOOT HOVER. (.19) ON DECEMBER 16, 1998, AT 1131 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A ELLIOT RAF 2000 GYROPLANE, N797X, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A HARD LANDING AT WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON. THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS UNINJURED. THERE WAS NO FIRE, AND NO REPORT OF AN ELT ACTUATING. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS PRACTICING TAXI TESTS AND 20 FOOT HOVERS ON RUNWAY 16/34, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON ROLLOUT AFTER DESCENT FROM 20 FEET. THE GYROPLANE ROLLED OVER ON ITS SIDE. (-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS LANDING FOLLOWING A TAXI-HOVER FLIGHT DOWN A PORTION OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED FIRST ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND WHEN THE NOSE GEAR SETTLED TO THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT ROLLING ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT NOTED THAT HE HAD BEEN CORRECTING FOR A CROSSWIND WITH THE LEFT RUDDER AND HAD OBVIOUSLY TOUCHED DOWN WITH THE RUDDER APPLIED. THE AIRCRAFT HAS OBVIOUSLY ROLLED TO ITS RIGHT SIDE DUE TO VISUAL DAMAGE WHICH DESTROYED Y/R BLADES, DESTROYED PUSHER PROPELLER, A B ENT M/R MAST, BROKEN RUDDER AND VERTICLE STABILIZER, AND SKID DAMAGE TO CANOPY AND PLEXIGLASS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.