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20030101001369A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Amtr Aircmdrelite · Chicago, IL · January 1, 2003

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Date
January 1, 2003 · 14:30 local
Place
Chicago, IL
Airport
Lansing Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
NONE
Reported as
Amtr Aircmdrelite
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1

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.

(.19) On January 1, 2003, at 1430 central standard time, an un-registered, amateur-built, air command gyrocopter was destroyed after a loss of control while maneuvering in the traffic pattern at the Lansing Municipal Airport, Lansing, Illinois. The gyropcopter was reported to have taken off to the north from a north/south taxiway. The un-certificated pilot was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and was not on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local flight had just originated when the accident occurred. (-23) gyrocopter was observed taking off from a taxiway. Once airborne, the gyrocopter was observed turning down wind as if the pilot wanted to stay in the traffic pattern. Shortly after established down wind the gyrocopter was observed developing a vertical oscillation which became more violent each occurrence. The last oscillation caused the gyrocopter to fall near vertically and impact the ground near the runway. Pilot died in the impact. Gyrocopter weight was in excess of maximum allowable for ultra lite status, the refore, the aircraft was required to be registered and the pilot certified under FAR part 61.3.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON JANUARY 1, 2003, AT 1430 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, AN UN-REGISTERED, AMATEUR-BUILT, AIR COMMAND GYROCOPTER WAS DESTROYED AFTER A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE MANEUVERING IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT THE LANSING MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, LANSING, ILLINOIS. THE GYROPCOPTER WAS REPORTED TO HAVE TAKEN OFF TO THE NORTH FROM A NORTH/SOUTH TAXIWAY. THE UN-CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND WAS NOT ON A FLIGHT PLAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT HAD JUST ORIGINATED WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. (-23) GYROCOPTER WAS OBSERVED TAKING OFF FROM A TAXIWAY. ONCE AIRBORNE, THE GYROCOPTER WAS OBSERVED TURNING DOWN WIND AS IF THE PILOT WANTED TO STAY IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. SHORTLY AFTER ESTABLISHED DOWN WIND THE GYROCOPTER WAS OBSERVED DEVELOPING A VERTICAL OSCILLATION WHICH BECAME MORE VIOLENT EACH OCCURRENCE. THE LAST OSCILLATION CAUSED THE GYROCOPTER TO FALL NEAR VERTICALLY AND IMPACT THE GROUND NEAR THE RUNWAY. PILOT DIED IN THE IMPACT. GYROCOPTER WEIGHT WAS IN EXCESS OF MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE FOR ULTRA LITE STATUS, THE REFORE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS REQUIRED TO BE REGISTERED AND THE PILOT CERTIFIED UNDER FAR PART 61.3.