20031116035619A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr RAF2000 · Nelson County, VA · November 16, 2003

Date: November 16, 2003 · 11:19 local
Place: Nelson County, VA
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N999GC
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC04LA035
Reported as: Amtr RAF2000
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 15,000 total45 in this make and model250 in the last 90 days

N999GCRegistration cancelled Oct 21, 2008 · Northam R A Jr/Johnson K R RAF 2000 GYROPLANES/N H2-02-13540 · Built 2003 Airframe modelNortham R A Jr/Johnson K R RAF 2000 GYROPLANE Engine modelSubaru ALL MDLS A/B4 cycle

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.

(-23) At 1119 EST, a home-built gyrocopter, model RAF-2000 gtx-se-fi, stalled and crashed in an open field. The aircraft was observed by three eye witnesses as it climbed straight up, rolled over (inverted), then dove straight down until the aircraft impacted the ground, where the aircraft was destroyed by fire. (-23 amendment) 12/08/03: further investigation revealed the following: prior to impacting the ground, the main rotor blades struck the horizontal and vertical fin and rudder. Also, one blade of the pusher propeller was struck by the main rotor blade. The engine was not turning when the propeller blade was struck.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AT 1119 EST, A HOME-BUILT GYROCOPTER, MODEL RAF-2000 GTX-SE-FI, STALLED AND CRASHED IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY THREE EYE WITNESSES AS IT CLIMBED STRAIGHT UP, ROLLED OVER (INVERTED), THEN DOVE STRAIGHT DOWN UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND, WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. (-23 AMENDMENT) 12/08/03: FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE GROUND, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL FIN AND RUDDER. ALSO, ONE BLADE OF THE PUSHER PROPELLER WAS STRUCK BY THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE. THE ENGINE WAS NOT TURNING WHEN THE PROPELLER BLADE WAS STRUCK.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC04LA035Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportNelsonia, VAA loss of control for undetermined reason(s).Nov 16, 2003 · Destroyed