What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 4, 2014, Mr. Shook was giving friends and family members rides in his gyrocopter. He stated to one that he needed to stay a bit higher above the river in the area due to the frequent power lines that cross the river. While Mr. Shook was flying a passenger he apparently got too low and/or didn't see a set of power lines. It appears that the gyrocopter hit one of a group of four power lines near mile marker 18 (I-70) which appear to be approximately 50 feet above the river. The impact struck the mast support shearing off the main rotor and the control cables. The gyrocopter immediately crashed into the river in a nose down and slightly inverted trajectory. The pilot died of trauma and the passenger drowned. Witnesses were able to get the aircraft within approximately 15-20 minutes and were able to remove the pilot. A witness stated that the aircraft drifted downstream until it neared a sandbar where it stopped drifting and he was able to get to the pilot. The witness stated that he had to cut through the seat belt to remove pilot from the seat. The witness stated that he was unaware of the passenger due to the fact that the aircraft was mostly submerged. Search and rescue arrived and retrieved the passenger from the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 4, 2014, MR. SHOOK WAS GIVING FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS RIDES IN HIS GYROCOPTER. HE STATED TO ONE THAT HE NEEDED TO STAY A BIT HIGHER ABOVE THE RIVER IN THE AREA DUE TO THE FREQUENT POWER LINES THAT CROSS THE RIVER. WHILE MR. SHOOK WAS FLYING A PASSENGER HE APPARENTLY GOT TOO LOW AND/OR DIDN'T SEE A SET OF POWER LINES. IT APPEARS THAT THE GYROCOPTER HIT ONE OF A GROUP OF FOUR POWER LINES NEAR MILE MARKER 18 (I-70) WHICH APPEAR TO BE APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET ABOVE THE RIVER. THE IMPACT STRUCK THE MAST SUPPORT SHEARING OFF THE MAIN ROTOR AND THE CONTROL CABLES. THE GYROCOPTER IMMEDIATELY CRASHED INTO THE RIVER IN A NOSE DOWN AND SLIGHTLY INVERTED TRAJECTORY. THE PILOT DIED OF TRAUMA AND THE PASSENGER DROWNED. WITNESSES WERE ABLE TO GET THE AIRCRAFT WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MINUTES AND WERE ABLE TO REMOVE THE PILOT. A WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED DOWNSTREAM UNTIL IT NEARED A SANDBAR WHERE IT STOPPED DRIFTING AND HE WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE PILOT. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE HAD TO CUT THROUGH THE SEAT BELT TO REMOVE PILOT FROM THE SEAT. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE PASSENGER DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOSTLY SUBMERGED. SEARCH AND RESCUE ARRIVED AND RETRIEVED THE PASSENGER FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.