20100912052799A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Lewis Brand Exterminato · Auburn, IL · September 12, 2010

Date: September 12, 2010 · 09:20 local
Place: Auburn, IL
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N815SL
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN10CA537
Reported as: Lewis Brand Exterminato
Reported engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 350 total2 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N815SLRegistration cancelled Jul 3, 2013 · Lewis Brandon Scott EXTERMINATORS/N 001 · Built 2003 Airframe modelLewis Brandon Scott EXTERMINATOR 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.

Pilot waited until everyone at the airport flew out for breakfast. He then had the airport to himself. The weather was calm. He was practicing lifting off and landing in his amatuer built gyroplane. He would lift off to about a 5 foot height and then land. On the 15th takeoff he reached a height of 10 feet. He looked at his flight instruments, which distracted him from looking at the horizon. As a result, he lost control and impacted the ground.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAITED UNTIL EVERYONE AT THE AIRPORT FLEW OUT FOR BREAKFAST. HE THEN HAD THE AIRPORT TO HIMSELF. THE WEATHER WAS CALM. HE WAS PRACTICING LIFTING OFF AND LANDING IN HIS AMATUER BUILT GYROPLANE. HE WOULD LIFT OFF TO ABOUT A 5 FOOT HEIGHT AND THEN LAND. ON THE 15TH TAKEOFF HE REACHED A HEIGHT OF 10 FEET. HE LOOKED AT HIS FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS, WHICH DISTRACTED HIM FROM LOOKING AT THE HORIZON. AS A RESULT, HE LOST CONTROL AND IMPACTED THE GROUND.

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 CEN10CA537Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportRockford, ILThe pilot's failure to maintain control of the gyrocopter while practicing takeoffs and landings.Sep 12, 2010 · Substantial damage