What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The airman stated that the engine experienced a partial loss of power during departure climb and although the engine continued to run he could not maintain altitude. During a close in left traffic pattern while attempting to emergency return to the departure runway it became apparent to the airman that he would have to make an off airport emergency landing.
The airman made an emergency landing just outside the airport fence in a confined area. To reduce forward momentum and avoid crashing into an eight foot chain link fence topped with barbwire the airman executed something similar to a quick stop maneuver that resulted in low main rotor energy and a hard landing. The hard landing broke the tail boon. The propeller was damaged by a ground strike. The gyroplane tipped over on its side after the hard landing and broke the main rotor mast. The main rotor was damaged by a ground strike.
Inspection of the wreckage revealed that a primer line, which was hardened by fuel and cracked, was leaking a substantial amount of fuel. The primer line's failure did not appear to be a resultant of the crash. The primer line was plumbed directly from the main fuel line that supplys fuel to the carburetors from the fuel tank. The failure of the primer line may have contributed to the engines loss of power.
A review of the airmans records revealed that the airman appeared to be qualified to act as pilot in command of the gyrocopter at the time of the accident.
A review of the aircraft records reveals that the gyrocopter had a current condition inspection at the time of the accident.
Weather was VFR with light winds and was not considered to be a material factor in this accident.
This was an experimental armature built aircraft being operated as a light sport aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRMAN STATED THAT THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER DURING DEPARTURE CLIMB AND ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. DURING A CLOSE IN LEFT TRAFFIC PATTERN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EMERGENCY RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY IT BECAME APPARENT TO THE AIRMAN THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE AN OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING.
THE AIRMAN MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING JUST OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT FENCE IN A CONFINED AREA. TO REDUCE FORWARD MOMENTUM AND AVOID CRASHING INTO AN EIGHT FOOT CHAIN LINK FENCE TOPPED WITH BARBWIRE THE AIRMAN EXECUTED SOMETHING SIMILAR TO A QUICK STOP MANEUVER THAT RESULTED IN LOW MAIN ROTOR ENERGY AND A HARD LANDING. THE HARD LANDING BROKE THE TAIL BOON. THE PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED BY A GROUND STRIKE. THE GYROPLANE TIPPED OVER ON ITS SIDE AFTER THE HARD LANDING AND BROKE THE MAIN ROTOR MAST. THE MAIN ROTOR WAS DAMAGED BY A GROUND STRIKE.
INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT A PRIMER LINE, WHICH WAS HARDENED BY FUEL AND CRACKED, WAS LEAKING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FUEL. THE PRIMER LINE'S FAILURE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A RESULTANT OF THE CRASH. THE PRIMER LINE WAS PLUMBED DIRECTLY FROM THE MAIN FUEL LINE THAT SUPPLYS FUEL TO THE CARBURETORS FROM THE FUEL TANK. THE FAILURE OF THE PRIMER LINE MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ENGINES LOSS OF POWER.
A REVIEW OF THE AIRMANS RECORDS REVEALED THAT THE AIRMAN APPEARED TO BE QUALIFIED TO ACT AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF THE GYROCOPTER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS REVEALS THAT THE GYROCOPTER HAD A CURRENT CONDITION INSPECTION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
WEATHER WAS VFR WITH LIGHT WINDS AND WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A MATERIAL FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT.
THIS WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL ARMATURE BUILT AIRCRAFT BEING OPERATED AS A LIGHT SPORT 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.