20040221001679A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr Sportcopter · Marysville, CA · February 21, 2004

Date: February 21, 2004 · 13:55 local
Place: Marysville, CA
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N96XV
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX04LA132
Reported as: Amtr Sportcopter
Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX582
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 100 total9 in this make and model

N96XVRegistration cancelled Jun 8, 2009 · Gillespie Gregory S SPORT COPTER VORTEXS/N 096 · Built 2003 Airframe modelGillespie Gregory S SPORT COPTER VORTEX Engine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

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) Gyro copter N96XV was flying downwind, 1 mile south of myv, about 50 feet above AGL heading north. A witness heard the engine sputtering and saw the aircraft descend at a 45 degree angle and impacted the feather river bed. The pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The witness saw fuel leaking from the fuel tank, but no fire. Upon inspection by the FAA, the vacuum line going to the fuel pneumatic pump had an irregular part installed. The Rotax manual requires a hard, non-collapsible line. The line installed was flexible and had a 45 degree kink on the vacuum side. The aircraft was still in phase 1 of the 40 hour flight testing phase. Hobbs meter had 12.3 hrs. A witness stated this was the second flight and the pilot may have 1-2 hours total in this aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) GYRO COPTER N96XV WAS FLYING DOWNWIND, 1 MILE SOUTH OF MYV, ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE AGL HEADING NORTH. A WITNESS HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTERING AND SAW THE AIRCRAFT DESCEND AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE AND IMPACTED THE FEATHER RIVER BED. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE WITNESS SAW FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK, BUT NO FIRE. UPON INSPECTION BY THE FAA, THE VACUUM LINE GOING TO THE FUEL PNEUMATIC PUMP HAD AN IRREGULAR PART INSTALLED. THE ROTAX MANUAL REQUIRES A HARD, NON-COLLAPSIBLE LINE. THE LINE INSTALLED WAS FLEXIBLE AND HAD A 45 DEGREE KINK ON THE VACUUM SIDE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL IN PHASE 1 OF THE 40 HOUR FLIGHT TESTING PHASE. HOBBS METER HAD 12.3 HRS. A WITNESS STATED THIS WAS THE SECOND FLIGHT AND THE PILOT MAY HAVE 1-2 HOURS TOTAL IN THIS AIRCRAFT.

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 LAX04LA132Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportYuba City, CAa loss of engine power due to the incorrect installation of the fuel line, which resulted in fuel starvation, and the pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM, which resulted in an inflight loss of control. A factor to the accident was the pilot's lack of…Feb 21, 2004 · Substantial damage