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20000813043629A

Accident · Minor damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr BENSONGE3 · Macedon, NY · August 13, 2000

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Date
August 13, 2000 · 10:30 local
Place
Macedon, NY
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
NONE
Reported as
Amtr BENSONGE3
Fatal injuries
0

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.

(-23) On Sunday, August 13, 2000, at 1030 EDT, a benson gyrocopter, model GE-3, crashed after take-off from 1342 eddy road, Macedon (wayne county), NY, due to the rotor blade coming off in flight. The gyrocopter was piloted by Mr. Greg k. gerace who doesn't hold a pilot certificate. The aircraft was not registered and did not have a special airworthiness certificate. The aircraft received minor damage, and was returned to the owner's home at privacy data omitted visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no IFR flight plan was filed. The pilot received serious injuries and was takent to strong memorial hospital, rochester, new york. (-23 amendment) on Sunday August 13, 2000, at 1030 eastern daylight time, an unregistered homebuilt gyrocopter, bensen GE-3, was substantially damaged after take-off from a private air strip in Macedon, new york. The non-certificated pilot/owner was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted, and no IFR flight plan was filed. This inspector interviewed the pilot on August 29, 2000, and the pilo t stated that he had just purchased the gyrocopter, and there were no logbooks. The pilot was unaware that he needed to register the aircraft or hold a certificate to operate it. He flew the gyrocopter the previous day and made some mechanical adjustments after the flight. The next day he departed with a crosswind and got to about 30 feet in altitude when he lost lift. He tried to land in a clearing but one of the main rotor blades struck a hay wagon on the descent and the gyrocopter rolled over upon landing. According to the data plate, the gyrocopter was built in 1985. A special airworthiness certificate had not been issued.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 2000, AT 1030 EDT, A BENSON GYROCOPTER, MODEL GE-3, CRASHED AFTER TAKE-OFF FROM 1342 EDDY ROAD, MACEDON (WAYNE COUNTY), NY, DUE TO THE ROTOR BLADE COMING OFF IN FLIGHT. THE GYROCOPTER WAS PILOTED BY MR. GREG K. GERACE WHO DOESN'T HOLD A PILOT CERTIFICATE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT REGISTERED AND DID NOT HAVE A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE, AND WAS RETURNED TO THE OWNER'S HOME AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND WAS TAKENT TO STRONG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. (-23 AMENDMENT) ON SUNDAY AUGUST 13, 2000, AT 1030 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN UNREGISTERED HOMEBUILT GYROCOPTER, BENSEN GE-3, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER TAKE-OFF FROM A PRIVATE AIR STRIP IN MACEDON, NEW YORK. THE NON-CERTIFICATED PILOT/OWNER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED, AND NO IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THIS INSPECTOR INTERVIEWED THE PILOT ON AUGUST 29, 2000, AND THE PILO T STATED THAT HE HAD JUST PURCHASED THE GYROCOPTER, AND THERE WERE NO LOGBOOKS. THE PILOT WAS UNAWARE THAT HE NEEDED TO REGISTER THE AIRCRAFT OR HOLD A CERTIFICATE TO OPERATE IT. HE FLEW THE GYROCOPTER THE PREVIOUS DAY AND MADE SOME MECHANICAL ADJUSTMENTS AFTER THE FLIGHT. THE NEXT DAY HE DEPARTED WITH A CROSSWIND AND GOT TO ABOUT 30 FEET IN ALTITUDE WHEN HE LOST LIFT. HE TRIED TO LAND IN A CLEARING BUT ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK A HAY WAGON ON THE DESCENT AND THE GYROCOPTER ROLLED OVER UPON LANDING. ACCORDING TO THE DATA PLATE, THE GYROCOPTER WAS BUILT IN 1985. A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED.