20030124001669A

(-23) While performing touch and go landing at the Brewton, Alabama airport (12J) the pilot was advised by ground personnel that he had a tail wind on final approach to runway 18, the pilot added power and made a right turn out, and then a left turn for downwind to runway 36. At the approximately the position of the left turn for entering the downwind leg the pilot induced adverse input of flight controls causing the main rotor blades to contact the tail section of the aircraft. A catastrophic in-flight break up of the aircraft occurred, causing fatal injuries to the pilot/sole occupant of the aircraft. (.19) on January 24, 2003, at 0913 central standard time, a long gyrocraft, N8YF, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR part 91TRAINING flight, collided with terrain while maneuvering in the traffic pattern at Brewton Municipal Airport, Brewton, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The gyrocraft sustained substantial damage. The airline transport rated pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from Brewton Municipal Airport 09:10. A certified flight inst ructor stated he arrived at the airport around 0900 to conduct a training flight with the pilot. The flight was to conduct emergency procedures and to expose the pilot to the different flying characteristics of the gyrocraft with the doors on. He observed the pilot running up the gyrocraft and making 360-degree turns. He figured the pilot was calibrating a newly installed compass. He went inside the hangar and heard the pilot announce over the UNICOM radio about 10 minutes later that he was departing runway 18. Navy personnel who are co-located at the non controlled airport advised the pilot on the UNICOM frequency that there was no known traffic. The flight instructor went outside and observed the gyrocraft taking off downwind. He ran back inside the hangar and called the pilot on the radio with no response. He went back outside and saw the gyrocraft was on base for runway 18. He called the pilot and told him the wind was favoring 36 and to be careful because he had the cabin doors on. The gyrocraft was observed to turn final. The pilot called the instructor and stated he was aborting the landing to runway 18, and was turning right to enter a downwind for runway 36. The instructorobserved the gyrocraft make a turn and start climbing, so he went back inside the hangar. A few minutes later he heard the navy calling the gyrocraft with no response. He became concerned and went outside and attempted contact with the pilot on a hand held radio with no response. He then observed firemen walking across the ramp toward runway 18 and runway 36. He also observed a fire truck in the grass, and then he heard on the radio the gyrocraft had crashed. Examination of the wreckage revealed the crash debris line extended for about 300 feet on a heading of 180-degrees magnetic. The main rotor blades had collided with the top of the maroon colored vertical stabilizer and rudder assembly and separated it from the tail boom assembly. The cabin area collided with the ground and the cabin came to rest in the upright position. Maroon paint transfer was present on the bottom of both main rotor blades and the leading edge of both rotor blades sustained impact damage. Flight control continuity was confirmed and a visual examination of the engine assembly revealed no anomalies.