20020728017159A

(.19) On July 28, 2002, at 1102 eastern daylight time, an aurandt rotor horse unregistered experimental gyrocopter, owned and operated by an individual, collided with the ground following a loss of engine power in cape coral, Florida. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The non-certificated operator reported no injuries, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The local flight departed a residential yard in cape coral, Florida, at an undetermined time. The operator of the gyrocopter stated it lost engine power at 1,200 feet, and he selected a vacant lot for an emergency landing. During the descent, about 15 to 25 feet above the ground, the aircraft dropped vertically and landed hard on its gear. The gyrocopter was an unregistered aircraft painted with the registration number N6117B. It had previously been registered as N6117B, an ashton rotor horse, but its registration was cancelled on October 3, 2001, after it was reportedly destroyed. Examination of the wreckage revealed the nosewheel was bent aft, the main gear struts were spread outward, support structures for the tail were broken, and portions of the tail assembly sustained crush damage. (-23) on July 28,2002, at 1100 hours EDT, an unregistered gyrocopter collided with the ground following a loss of engine power in cape coral, Florida. The aircraft was on a part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the owner/student pilot was not injured. The flight originated in cape coral, Florida at approximately 1000 hours. The aircraft lost power in cruise flight at approximately 1200 feet and made a hard landing in a vacant lot approximately 11 miles from the aircraft departure point. The pilot reported that he descended vertically for the last 15 to 25 feet. The aircraft sustained damage to its landing gear, empennage support structure, and tail assembly. The cape coral police department investigated the accident at the scene and released the aircraft to the owner. Digital photographs taken at the scene indicate the aircraft displayed the registration number N6117B on a tail surface. The owner transported the aircraft by trailer to an undisclosed location in fort myers, Florida and initiated repairs. No airworthiness certificate or registration certificate had been issued for the aircraft. The aircraft displayed the registration number of a gyrocopter that was destroyed in October 2001 and for which registration had been cancelled. The owner purchased the aircraft in a partially completed condition from the person who owned the previously destroyed gyrocopter. The remaining aircraft components were inspected on August 16, 2002 at the owner's home in cape coral, Florida. No identifying marks or identification plate could be located on the aircraft. The aircraft was similar to a kit aircraft produced by rotor flight dynamics, inc. of lithia, Florida. The structure supporting the empennage had been removed, as had the engine, rotor, and tail surfaces. The landing gear, engine support structure, and rotor support structure displayed damage consistent with the hard landing. The owner presented his student pilot certificate. No instructor endorsement was recorded on the certificate. The owner stated that he did not maintain a pilot log.