20040312016899A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr 2#2 · Bunnell, FL · March 12, 2004

Date: March 12, 2004 · 18:30 local
Place: Bunnell, FL
Airport: Flagler County Airport
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N69EP
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA04LA058
Reported as: Amtr 2#2
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,460 total1,212 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N69EPRegistration cancelled Sep 7, 2017 · Ortmayer W R/Parson W H 2#2S/N 69A · Built 1994 Airframe modelOrtmayer W R/Parson W H 2#2 Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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) On March 12th, 2004 at 1830 hrs EST, an experimental gyroplane was being operated under an exemption for flight instruction, and during a high speed taxi one of the two rotor blades separated from the hub bar. The gyroplane was substantially damaged, the CFI received serious injuries, and the non rated student pilot received fatal injuries. An FAA on scene investigation found the hub bar winglet and rotor blade had separated from the hub bar due to the failure of the hub bar winglet retaining bolt head, pn (AN12-34A). The bolt still in the hub bar winglet and the bolt head were recovered and sent to the NTSB materials lab, Washington DC for examination, on 3-17-04.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON MARCH 12TH, 2004 AT 1830 HRS EST, AN EXPERIMENTAL GYROPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER AN EXEMPTION FOR FLIGHT INSTRUCTION, AND DURING A HIGH SPEED TAXI ONE OF THE TWO ROTOR BLADES SEPARATED FROM THE HUB BAR. THE GYROPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, THE CFI RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES, AND THE NON RATED STUDENT PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. AN FAA ON SCENE INVESTIGATION FOUND THE HUB BAR WINGLET AND ROTOR BLADE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE HUB BAR DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE HUB BAR WINGLET RETAINING BOLT HEAD, PN (AN12-34A). THE BOLT STILL IN THE HUB BAR WINGLET AND THE BOLT HEAD WERE RECOVERED AND SENT TO THE NTSB MATERIALS LAB, WASHINGTON DC FOR EXAMINATION, ON 3-17-04.

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 MIA04LA058Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportBunnell, FLThe owner/pilot mechanic's failure to comply with a manufacture notice to replace the rotor blades and hub bar assembly, resulting in a failure of the hub bar to hub bar wing attaching bolt and separation of a main rotor blade.Mar 12, 2004 · Substantial damage