20090925050159A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Celier Avia Xenon RST G · Mount Pleasant, SC · September 25, 2009

Date: September 25, 2009 · 13:00 local
Place: Mount Pleasant, SC
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4462J
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA09LA544
Reported as: Celier Avia Xenon RST G
Reported engine: ROTAX 912
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,500 total80 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days

N4462JRegistered now · Celier XENON RST GYROPLANES/N CAK03971S · Built 2007 Airframe modelCelier XENON RST GYROPLANE Engine modelRotax 912 series4 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.

The pilot departed from falcon run airport, a 2400 ft private grass strip in mt. Pleasant, SC. The pilot rotated at about 1200 ft down the runway. At the end of the runway, the pilot noticed that the aircraft was only at tree top level and not climbing. The pilot did not notice any sound change in the engine or rotor speed. The pilot reported that he had about 55 knots of airspeed. The airspeed indicator was found stuck at 63 knots. The pilot made a slight left turn and dropped the nose in an attempt to land a road along side the pond that circled the runway. At this point the pilot stated the the nose dropped and the aircraft impacted the water and came to rest about 10 feet from shore. The pilot was treated at the site for a minor cut and scratches and the passenger was not treated but had minor scratches.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT DEPARTED FROM FALCON RUN AIRPORT, A 2400 FT PRIVATE GRASS STRIP IN MT. PLEASANT, SC. THE PILOT ROTATED AT ABOUT 1200 FT DOWN THE RUNWAY. AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ONLY AT TREE TOP LEVEL AND NOT CLIMBING. THE PILOT DID NOT NOTICE ANY SOUND CHANGE IN THE ENGINE OR ROTOR SPEED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD ABOUT 55 KNOTS OF AIRSPEED. THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR WAS FOUND STUCK AT 63 KNOTS. THE PILOT MADE A SLIGHT LEFT TURN AND DROPPED THE NOSE IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND A ROAD ALONG SIDE THE POND THAT CIRCLED THE RUNWAY. AT THIS POINT THE PILOT STATED THE THE NOSE DROPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE WATER AND CAME TO REST ABOUT 10 FEET FROM SHORE. THE PILOT WAS TREATED AT THE SITE FOR A MINOR CUT AND SCRATCHES AND THE PASSENGER WAS NOT TREATED BUT HAD MINOR SCRATCHES.

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 ERA09LA544Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMount Pleasant, SCThe gyroplane's inadequate climb performance for undetermined reasons.Sep 25, 2009 · Substantial damage