What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 29, 2013, about 0744 eastern daylight time, an amateur built, experimental Dominator gyrocopter, N85KY, incurred substantial damage after impacting terrain while in the local traffic pattern at Valkaria Airport (X59), Valkaria, Florida. The light sport pilot sustained fatal injuries. The gyrocopter was registered to and operated by a private individual as per title 14 (CFR) code of federal regulation?s part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.
A pilot and personal friend of the pilot who witnessed and videotaped the accident flight, stated that the pilot ran-up the engine and performed his preflight checks at the approach end of runway 10. The pilot started a takeoff roll, the gyrocopter then veered to the left, and the pilot aborted the takeoff attempt. During taxi back, the pilot told the witness on video that there was a problem with the gyrocopter. The pilot back taxied to the approach end of runway 10, and started a second takeoff roll. The video showed and witness stated that the takeoff roll was about 1,500 feet in length, and was an unusually long takeoff roll compared to the other gyrocopter takeoffs that he had witnessed in the past.
After takeoff from runway 10, the gyrocopter made a left downwind turn. The pilot turned left base over flying final, and then adjusted and flew parallel to the runway at approximately 30 feet above ground level. The pilot then turned left and paralleled runway 32, entered a right downwind, and subsequently turned right base for runway 14. The gyrocopter appeared to be on approach to landing and as it descended, the pilot rapidly climbed, and then descended to impact the asphalt on the north side of the runway 14.
The gyrocopter came to rest about 1,000 feet on the north side of approach end of runway 14 on the north apron, up against a Cessna 172 parked on the ramp. Post accident investigation of the aircraft revealed no mechanical irregularities prior to impact.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 29, 2013, ABOUT 0744 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AMATEUR BUILT, EXPERIMENTAL DOMINATOR GYROCOPTER, N85KY, INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER IMPACTING TERRAIN WHILE IN THE LOCAL TRAFFIC PATTERN AT VALKARIA AIRPORT (X59), VALKARIA, FLORIDA. THE LIGHT SPORT PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE GYROCOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AS PER TITLE 14 (CFR) CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATION?S PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT.
A PILOT AND PERSONAL FRIEND OF THE PILOT WHO WITNESSED AND VIDEOTAPED THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, STATED THAT THE PILOT RAN-UP THE ENGINE AND PERFORMED HIS PREFLIGHT CHECKS AT THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 10. THE PILOT STARTED A TAKEOFF ROLL, THE GYROCOPTER THEN VEERED TO THE LEFT, AND THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF ATTEMPT. DURING TAXI BACK, THE PILOT TOLD THE WITNESS ON VIDEO THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE GYROCOPTER. THE PILOT BACK TAXIED TO THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 10, AND STARTED A SECOND TAKEOFF ROLL. THE VIDEO SHOWED AND WITNESS STATED THAT THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS ABOUT 1,500 FEET IN LENGTH, AND WAS AN UNUSUALLY LONG TAKEOFF ROLL COMPARED TO THE OTHER GYROCOPTER TAKEOFFS THAT HE HAD WITNESSED IN THE PAST.
AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 10, THE GYROCOPTER MADE A LEFT DOWNWIND TURN. THE PILOT TURNED LEFT BASE OVER FLYING FINAL, AND THEN ADJUSTED AND FLEW PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE PILOT THEN TURNED LEFT AND PARALLELED RUNWAY 32, ENTERED A RIGHT DOWNWIND, AND SUBSEQUENTLY TURNED RIGHT BASE FOR RUNWAY 14. THE GYROCOPTER APPEARED TO BE ON APPROACH TO LANDING AND AS IT DESCENDED, THE PILOT RAPIDLY CLIMBED, AND THEN DESCENDED TO IMPACT THE ASPHALT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY 14.
THE GYROCOPTER CAME TO REST ABOUT 1,000 FEET ON THE NORTH SIDE OF APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 14 ON THE NORTH APRON, UP AGAINST A CESSNA 172 PARKED ON THE RAMP. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES PRIOR TO IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.