What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The com center called at approximately 18:30 local time. There was a report of a gyro copter crash at Goliad airfield Industrial park (7T3). The report was of one fatality. The pilot was the privacy data omittedbuilder of this experimental amateur built aircraft. The special airworthiness certificate and a repairman certificate were issued January 28, 2008. Initial inspection of the aircraft showed complete pusher propeller destruction. There were no witnesses to the accident. The pilot's wife stated he was going to practice taxi runs. The aircraft showed 8.5 hours on the hobbs hour meter. It's this inspector's opinion the aircraft had gained unknown altitude, the pilot lost control or had trouble controlling the aircraft; it made a hard landing on the right main fixed landing gear. This caused the gear to buckle and fail in the aft and inboard direction where it came into the propeller arc. The prop struck the right main tire causing complete destructions of the composite three bladed prop. The aircraft gained altitude again, but lost forward momentum stalling left of the runway approximately fifty feet from the runways edge. The impact was near vertical with no forward momentum. The impact was great enough to collapse the left main and nose gear and support struts. The rotors showed little rotational movement, and there was a slight signature mark on the bottom outboard edge of one rotor blade. The pilot had 8.1 hours dual instructor time and 1.8 pilot in command time.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE COM CENTER CALLED AT APPROXIMATELY 18:30 LOCAL TIME. THERE WAS A REPORT OF A GYRO COPTER CRASH AT GOLIAD AIRFIELD INDUSTRIAL PARK (7T3). THE REPORT WAS OF ONE FATALITY. THE PILOT WAS THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^BUILDER OF THIS EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT. THE SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE AND A REPAIRMAN CERTIFICATE WERE ISSUED JANUARY 28, 2008. INITIAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED COMPLETE PUSHER PROPELLER DESTRUCTION. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT'S WIFE STATED HE WAS GOING TO PRACTICE TAXI RUNS. THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED 8.5 HOURS ON THE HOBBS HOUR METER. IT'S THIS INSPECTOR'S OPINION THE AIRCRAFT HAD GAINED UNKNOWN ALTITUDE, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OR HAD TROUBLE CONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT; IT MADE A HARD LANDING ON THE RIGHT MAIN FIXED LANDING GEAR. THIS CAUSED THE GEAR TO BUCKLE AND FAIL IN THE AFT AND INBOARD DIRECTION WHERE IT CAME INTO THE PROPELLER ARC. THE PROP STRUCK THE RIGHT MAIN TIRE CAUSING COMPLETE DESTRUCTIONS OF THE COMPOSITE THREE BLADED PROP. THE AIRCRAFT GAINED ALTITUDE AGAIN, BUT LOST FORWARD MOMENTUM STALLING LEFT OF THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY FIFTY FEET FROM THE RUNWAYS EDGE. THE IMPACT WAS NEAR VERTICAL WITH NO FORWARD MOMENTUM. THE IMPACT WAS GREAT ENOUGH TO COLLAPSE THE LEFT MAIN AND NOSE GEAR AND SUPPORT STRUTS. THE ROTORS SHOWED LITTLE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT, AND THERE WAS A SLIGHT SIGNATURE MARK ON THE BOTTOM OUTBOARD EDGE OF ONE ROTOR BLADE. THE PILOT HAD 8.1 HOURS DUAL INSTRUCTOR TIME AND 1.8 PILOT IN COMMAND TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.