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20141001022369A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Aircraft · Belle Vernon, PA · October 1, 2014

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Date
October 1, 2014 · 14:00 local
Place
Belle Vernon, PA
Airport
Rostraver
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
NONE
Reported engine
ROTAX 582
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,800 total13 in this make and model13 in the last 90 days

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.

Wreckage was contained in one small area approximately 700 feet from the approach end of runway 24 at Rostraver Airport heading approximately 260 degrees. The area of the wreckage was not wider than the diameter of the main rotor, approximately 20 feet. Evidence of the impact at the scene revealed that the gyroplane appeared to have flown straight into the ground. There was very little damage to the main rotor's leading edges and it appeared as though the main rotor folded up upon impact. The rest of the gyroplane was completely destroyed with no post-crash fire. The engine was identified as a Rotax model 582 and had a composite three bladed prop. Two of the three blades were broken off but one blade was completely undamaged. Fuel was present in the fuel lines leading up to the carburetors. Flight control continuity was established. No ELT was found near or about the wreckage site. Further investigation revealed that this gyroplane appears to be an air command international with a Rotax model 582 engine, which is normally required to be registered and certificated in the experimental catagory. It was determined that this particular gyroplane had no registration number or data plate to identify make and model, and was not certificated in any catagory.

As the FAA filed it

WRECKAGE WAS CONTAINED IN ONE SMALL AREA APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 24 AT ROSTRAVER AIRPORT HEADING APPROXIMATELY 260 DEGREES. THE AREA OF THE WRECKAGE WAS NOT WIDER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE MAIN ROTOR, APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET. EVIDENCE OF THE IMPACT AT THE SCENE REVEALED THAT THE GYROPLANE APPEARED TO HAVE FLOWN STRAIGHT INTO THE GROUND. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR'S LEADING EDGES AND IT APPEARED AS THOUGH THE MAIN ROTOR FOLDED UP UPON IMPACT. THE REST OF THE GYROPLANE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED WITH NO POST-CRASH FIRE. THE ENGINE WAS IDENTIFIED AS A ROTAX MODEL 582 AND HAD A COMPOSITE THREE BLADED PROP. TWO OF THE THREE BLADES WERE BROKEN OFF BUT ONE BLADE WAS COMPLETELY UNDAMAGED. FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE FUEL LINES LEADING UP TO THE CARBURETORS. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. NO ELT WAS FOUND NEAR OR ABOUT THE WRECKAGE SITE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THIS GYROPLANE APPEARS TO BE AN AIR COMMAND INTERNATIONAL WITH A ROTAX MODEL 582 ENGINE, WHICH IS NORMALLY REQUIRED TO BE REGISTERED AND CERTIFICATED IN THE EXPERIMENTAL CATAGORY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS PARTICULAR GYROPLANE HAD NO REGISTRATION NUMBER OR DATA PLATE TO IDENTIFY MAKE AND MODEL, AND WAS NOT CERTIFICATED IN ANY CATAGORY.