What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While enroute from Muskegon, MI. (Kmkg) to tomanica airfield, a private airfield approx. 8 miles east southeast of the Muskegon, MI. Airport (kmkg), the gyrocopter's rotor blade made contact with the propeller and rudder. The rudder was destroyed and for the next 3/4 of a mile, pieces of the rotor, propeller and vertical stabilizer/rudder could be found along a straight line to the accident scene. Approx. 1/4 of a mile from the accident scene the drive belt for the propeller was found. Approximately 50 feet from the accident scene, the vertical stabilizer was found still attached to the last 3 feet of the gyrocopter's keel, which had been severed from the aircraft by a rotor blade strike. Several witnesses were interviewed, all with similar observations. Most notable was a telephone interview with privacy data omitted , an ex army helicopter mechanic said that the main rotor blade appeared to come partially loose, at which time the aircraft began to violently warble, followed by numerous parts leaving the aircraft, while it was approx. 300 to 500 feet above the ground. He al so stated that at about the time of the aircraft break up there was a loud noise. An interview with privacy data omitted , who is an experienced gyrocopter pilot, revealed that this make of gyrocopter is somewhat susceptible to "pilot induced oscillations." It should be noted that this particular gyrocopter did not have a horizontal stabilizer installed, which is an option that can be installed that can provide longitudinal stability and thereby decreases the likelihood of "pilot induced oscillations." Pilot flight times are omitted from the -23 as the pilot log books and aircraft records are unavailable and believed burned in the post crash fire. Estimated pilot flight time in this make of gyrocopter is 200 flight hours, based on conversations with personnel at the accident scene who knew the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE ENROUTE FROM MUSKEGON, MI. (KMKG) TO TOMANICA AIRFIELD, A PRIVATE AIRFIELD APPROX. 8 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF THE MUSKEGON, MI. AIRPORT (KMKG), THE GYROCOPTER'S ROTOR BLADE MADE CONTACT WITH THE PROPELLER AND RUDDER. THE RUDDER WAS DESTROYED AND FOR THE NEXT 3/4 OF A MILE, PIECES OF THE ROTOR, PROPELLER AND VERTICAL STABILIZER/RUDDER COULD BE FOUND ALONG A STRAIGHT LINE TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE. APPROX. 1/4 OF A MILE FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE THE DRIVE BELT FOR THE PROPELLER WAS FOUND. APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE, THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS FOUND STILL ATTACHED TO THE LAST 3 FEET OF THE GYROCOPTER'S KEEL, WHICH HAD BEEN SEVERED FROM THE AIRCRAFT BY A ROTOR BLADE STRIKE. SEVERAL WITNESSES WERE INTERVIEWED, ALL WITH SIMILAR OBSERVATIONS. MOST NOTABLE WAS A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ , AN EX ARMY HELICOPTER MECHANIC SAID THAT THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE APPEARED TO COME PARTIALLY LOOSE, AT WHICH TIME THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO VIOLENTLY WARBLE, FOLLOWED BY NUMEROUS PARTS LEAVING THE AIRCRAFT, WHILE IT WAS APPROX. 300 TO 500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. HE AL SO STATED THAT AT ABOUT THE TIME OF THE AIRCRAFT BREAK UP THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE. AN INTERVIEW WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ , WHO IS AN EXPERIENCED GYROCOPTER PILOT, REVEALED THAT THIS MAKE OF GYROCOPTER IS SOMEWHAT SUSCEPTIBLE TO "PILOT INDUCED OSCILLATIONS." IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS PARTICULAR GYROCOPTER DID NOT HAVE A HORIZONTAL STABILIZER INSTALLED, WHICH IS AN OPTION THAT CAN BE INSTALLED THAT CAN PROVIDE LONGITUDINAL STABILITY AND THEREBY DECREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF "PILOT INDUCED OSCILLATIONS." PILOT FLIGHT TIMES ARE OMITTED FROM THE -23 AS THE PILOT LOG BOOKS AND AIRCRAFT RECORDS ARE UNAVAILABLE AND BELIEVED BURNED IN THE POST CRASH FIRE. ESTIMATED PILOT FLIGHT TIME IN THIS MAKE OF GYROCOPTER IS 200 FLIGHT HOURS, BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH PERSONNEL AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE WHO KNEW THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.