What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot and mechanic kestutis l. zigaitis had recently added a capacity type fuel gauge to supplement the difficult to see float fuel gauge. Gauge was calibrated using autogas that was without alcohol. On the day of the accident the gyrocopter was filled with autogas that included alcohol. The difference in capacitance may have contributed to a reading that led the pilot to believe more fuel was on board than actually existed. Pilot continued flying traffic patterns at an ultralight field. On climb out, the engine stopped. The pilot set the gyrocopter down in a soft field with little or no ground run. Upon ground contact the nose wheel sunk into the ground leading to a rollover of the aircraft. Substantial damage resulted. FAA office manager larry barklage was in the vicinity at the time of the accident. He examined the wreckage and determined there was only residual fuel on board. The pilot concurs with that observation and admits he ran out of fuel.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT AND MECHANIC KESTUTIS L. ZIGAITIS HAD RECENTLY ADDED A CAPACITY TYPE FUEL GAUGE TO SUPPLEMENT THE DIFFICULT TO SEE FLOAT FUEL GAUGE. GAUGE WAS CALIBRATED USING AUTOGAS THAT WAS WITHOUT ALCOHOL. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT THE GYROCOPTER WAS FILLED WITH AUTOGAS THAT INCLUDED ALCOHOL. THE DIFFERENCE IN CAPACITANCE MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO A READING THAT LED THE PILOT TO BELIEVE MORE FUEL WAS ON BOARD THAN ACTUALLY EXISTED. PILOT CONTINUED FLYING TRAFFIC PATTERNS AT AN ULTRALIGHT FIELD. ON CLIMB OUT, THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE PILOT SET THE GYROCOPTER DOWN IN A SOFT FIELD WITH LITTLE OR NO GROUND RUN. UPON GROUND CONTACT THE NOSE WHEEL SUNK INTO THE GROUND LEADING TO A ROLLOVER OF THE AIRCRAFT. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE RESULTED. FAA OFFICE MANAGER LARRY BARKLAGE WAS IN THE VICINITY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE AND DETERMINED THERE WAS ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL ON BOARD. THE PILOT CONCURS WITH THAT OBSERVATION AND ADMITS HE RAN OUT OF FUEL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.