What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 15, 2016, the private pilot certificated airman was involved in an aircraft accident while maneuvering the experimental amateur-built gyrocopter in a rural area near Whitewater, Kansas. Pursuant to information obtained during the accident investigation, the airman departed the newton city county airport (kewk), newton, Kansas, for a pleasure flight in the vicinity of the airman?s residence. The kewk automated weather observation system (AWOS), at the time of the accident, reported that visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed with visibility greater than ten statute miles and surface winds from the east at five to ten miles per hour. According to eyewitness statements, the gyrocopter was observed maneuvering in the vicinity of the accident site when the aircraft pitched up abruptly and subsequently descended into, and impacted the ground. A post-accident investigation of the accident site revealed the gyrocopter impacted the ground in a significant nose low and right banked attitude, as substantiated by the small debris field, ground scarring and impact points of the advancing rotor-blade. The on-site investigation of the gyrocopter did not reveal any aircraft or system anomaly that would have contributed to this accident. The gyrocopter was destroyed in a post-impact fire that ensued; the airman, the sole occupant on-board, sustained fatal injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 15, 2016, THE PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATED AIRMAN WAS INVOLVED IN AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT WHILE MANEUVERING THE EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT GYROCOPTER IN A RURAL AREA NEAR WHITEWATER, KANSAS. PURSUANT TO INFORMATION OBTAINED DURING THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION, THE AIRMAN DEPARTED THE NEWTON CITY COUNTY AIRPORT (KEWK), NEWTON, KANSAS, FOR A PLEASURE FLIGHT IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRMAN?S RESIDENCE. THE KEWK AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION SYSTEM (AWOS), AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, REPORTED THAT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) PREVAILED WITH VISIBILITY GREATER THAN TEN STATUTE MILES AND SURFACE WINDS FROM THE EAST AT FIVE TO TEN MILES PER HOUR. ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESS STATEMENTS, THE GYROCOPTER WAS OBSERVED MANEUVERING IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP ABRUPTLY AND SUBSEQUENTLY DESCENDED INTO, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. A POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THE GYROCOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A SIGNIFICANT NOSE LOW AND RIGHT BANKED ATTITUDE, AS SUBSTANTIATED BY THE SMALL DEBRIS FIELD, GROUND SCARRING AND IMPACT POINTS OF THE ADVANCING ROTOR-BLADE. THE ON-SITE INVESTIGATION OF THE GYROCOPTER DID NOT REVEAL ANY AIRCRAFT OR SYSTEM ANOMALY THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ACCIDENT. THE GYROCOPTER WAS DESTROYED IN A POST-IMPACT FIRE THAT ENSUED; THE AIRMAN, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON-BOARD, SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.