# Incident 20170604013209I: Joshua Humphreys AUTOGYRO CAVALON, Chesterfield, MO, June 4, 2017

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 4, 2017, 09:02 local time
- Place: Chesterfield, MO
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.6631° N, 90.5771° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Chesterfield, MO, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.6631&lon=-90.5771&mi=10
- Aircraft: N509PH (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: JOSHUA HUMPHREYS AUTOGYRO CAVALON
- Reported engine: ROTAX 914
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 7,220 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170604013209I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

N509PH , A GYROPLANE, DEPARTED SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS AIRPORT (KSUS) FOR A CFR PART 91 PLEASURE FLIGHT ON 26L. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS NOT GETTING THE PERFORMANCE HE WAS EXPECTING. HE CHECKED HIS CLIMB OUT OF TAKEOFF POWER, FULL TURBO. AFTER DOING THIS HE HAD INDICATED LEVEL FLIGHT ONLY. AT THIS POINT HE ADDED THE FULL TAKE OFF TURBO POWER BACK IN AND REQUESTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND WAS ISSUED A TURN BACK TO 8R IF NEEDED. AFTER CROSSING POWER LINES THE GYROPLANE STARTED TO DESCEND WITH FULL POWER APPLIED. THE AIRSPEED WAS LOW SO HE LOWERED THE NOSE A LITTLE TO TRY AND GAIN SOME AIRSPEED AND WAS NOT ABLE TO RECOVER ENOUGH FOR A CLIMB. AS HE DESCENDED HE SAW A GRAVEL ROAD BETWEEN TWO FIELDS AND TOLD TOWER HE WOULD BE LANDING ON A GRAVEL ROAD. HE LANDED WITH A HIGH RATE OF DECENT AND THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR CAUGHT THE EDGE OF THE FIELD AND ROAD. THIS FORCED THE NOSE DOWN HARDER AND THE NOSE GEAR FRACTURED AND DEPARTED THE GYROPLANE. THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR WAS BENT UPWARDS FROM IMPACT. THE OIL COOLER WHICH EXTENDS FROM UNDER THE LOWEST POINT OF THE GYROCOPTER FUSELAGE FRACTURED AND THERE WAS OIL LOSS. THE LEFT ENTRY DOOR PLEXIGLAS WINDOW HAD A CRACK APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES LONG FROM THE IMPACT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE OR PROPELLER AS THIS IS A PUSHER PROPELLER AND IS NOT NEAR THE GROUND. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE NOT DAMAGED.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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