What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This aircraft is classified as a gyroplane with vertical takeoff capibilities. It was designed and built by the pilot's husband and there are only 4 others like it in the world. This was the 3rd takeoff of the day for the pilot. On the climb out at an altitude of about 30 feet, the pilot could not maintain enough airspeed to gain alitiude. The nose started to pitch higher, then the aircraft started to wobble, enter a right yaw with the nose pitching down. It then contacted the ground. This narritive is written as relayed to iic welke from privacy data omitted, the designer, builder and husband of the pilot who witnessed the accident from a distance of 400 feet from the impact site. At the time of the investigation, which was 1 and 1/2 hours later, the wind would have been a quartering tailwind for the direction of take off. The police officer arrived on scene about 15 to 20 minutes after the accident and remembered the wind sock and the direction being the same as iic welke witnessed. privacy data omitted Stated the wind was from the north, but may have reversed. The takeoff direction was 330 degreesthe NWS reported the winds at 1053 local at jackson, MI as vrb@05; lansing, MI 120 @03; adrain, MI as 110@8; hillsdale, MI as 100@7.
As the FAA filed it
THIS AIRCRAFT IS CLASSIFIED AS A GYROPLANE WITH VERTICAL TAKEOFF CAPIBILITIES. IT WAS DESIGNED AND BUILT BY THE PILOT'S HUSBAND AND THERE ARE ONLY 4 OTHERS LIKE IT IN THE WORLD. THIS WAS THE 3RD TAKEOFF OF THE DAY FOR THE PILOT. ON THE CLIMB OUT AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 30 FEET, THE PILOT COULD NOT MAINTAIN ENOUGH AIRSPEED TO GAIN ALITIUDE. THE NOSE STARTED TO PITCH HIGHER, THEN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO WOBBLE, ENTER A RIGHT YAW WITH THE NOSE PITCHING DOWN. IT THEN CONTACTED THE GROUND. THIS NARRITIVE IS WRITTEN AS RELAYED TO IIC WELKE FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE DESIGNER, BUILDER AND HUSBAND OF THE PILOT WHO WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT FROM A DISTANCE OF 400 FEET FROM THE IMPACT SITE. AT THE TIME OF THE INVESTIGATION, WHICH WAS 1 AND 1/2 HOURS LATER, THE WIND WOULD HAVE BEEN A QUARTERING TAILWIND FOR THE DIRECTION OF TAKE OFF. THE POLICE OFFICER ARRIVED ON SCENE ABOUT 15 TO 20 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND REMEMBERED THE WIND SOCK AND THE DIRECTION BEING THE SAME AS IIC WELKE WITNESSED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THE WIND WAS FROM THE NORTH, BUT MAY HAVE REVERSED. THE TAKEOFF DIRECTION WAS 330 DEGREESTHE NWS REPORTED THE WINDS AT 1053 LOCAL AT JACKSON, MI AS VRB@05; LANSING, MI 120 @03; ADRAIN, MI AS 110@8; HILLSDALE, MI AS 100@7.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.