What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On September 15, 2002, about 1000 pacific daylight time, an experimental air command 503 gyrocopter, N25069, registered to a private individual and operated by a student pilot as a 14 CFR part 91 instructional flight, landed hard and bounced at the Prineville Airport, Prineville, Oregon. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The gyrocopter was substantially damaged and the student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The student pilot reported that he flared the gyrocopter too high. It landed hard and bounced resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft at the time. (-23) darrell w. sheets, acting as a solo student pilot, experienced a hard landing in an air command-503 gyroplane at Prineville Airport, Oregon. Mr. Sheets allowed the gyroplane's rotor RPM to deteriorate during the landing flare causing the aircraft to bounce on contact with the landing surface and roll. Mr. Sheets was not injured, but the air command-503 incurred substantial damage. Mgc
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2002, ABOUT 1000 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AIR COMMAND 503 GYROCOPTER, N25069, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND OPERATED BY A STUDENT PILOT AS A 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, LANDED HARD AND BOUNCED AT THE PRINEVILLE AIRPORT, PRINEVILLE, OREGON. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. THE GYROCOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT HE FLARED THE GYROCOPTER TOO HIGH. IT LANDED HARD AND BOUNCED RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME. (-23) DARRELL W. SHEETS, ACTING AS A SOLO STUDENT PILOT, EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING IN AN AIR COMMAND-503 GYROPLANE AT PRINEVILLE AIRPORT, OREGON. MR. SHEETS ALLOWED THE GYROPLANE'S ROTOR RPM TO DETERIORATE DURING THE LANDING FLARE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO BOUNCE ON CONTACT WITH THE LANDING SURFACE AND ROLL. MR. SHEETS WAS NOT INJURED, BUT THE AIR COMMAND-503 INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. MGC
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.