20070428005959A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Mcdona J4B-2 · Olivehurst, CA · April 28, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: April 28, 2007 · 12:00 local
Place: Olivehurst, CA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N445SM
Reported as: Mcdona J4B2
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N445SMRegistration cancelled Feb 5, 2009 · Mcdonald Stanley J J4B-2S/N 1394-2 Airframe modelMcdonald Stanley J J4B-2 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) April 29, 2007 at approximately 1200 hrs. Off duty law enforcement officer privacy data omitted was driving his privately owned vehicle southbound on highway 70 north of Olivehurst exit, Olivehurst, CA. He observed what appeared to be a helicopter (barnett J4B-2 gyrocopter) in the air. He continued to observe the gyrocopter when he "noticed something fly off of it." Then the gyrocopter began a downward nose dive towards the ground. Its trajectory resulted in a colliding through a grouping of eucalyptus trees that parallel highway 70. The gyrocopter was dismantled by penetrating through the trees and then violently impacting roadway on the rightside of the fuselage. Fatal injuries were suffered by the pilot in command who was still safety belted in the cockpit.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) APRIL 29, 2007 AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 HRS. OFF DUTY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS DRIVING HIS PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLE SOUTHBOUND ON HIGHWAY 70 NORTH OF OLIVEHURST EXIT, OLIVEHURST, CA. HE OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A HELICOPTER (BARNETT J4B-2 GYROCOPTER) IN THE AIR. HE CONTINUED TO OBSERVE THE GYROCOPTER WHEN HE "NOTICED SOMETHING FLY OFF OF IT." THEN THE GYROCOPTER BEGAN A DOWNWARD NOSE DIVE TOWARDS THE GROUND. ITS TRAJECTORY RESULTED IN A COLLIDING THROUGH A GROUPING OF EUCALYPTUS TREES THAT PARALLEL HIGHWAY 70. THE GYROCOPTER WAS DISMANTLED BY PENETRATING THROUGH THE TREES AND THEN VIOLENTLY IMPACTING ROADWAY ON THE RIGHTSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. FATAL INJURIES WERE SUFFERED BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND WHO WAS STILL SAFETY BELTED IN THE COCKPIT.