What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 02, 2017, a amateur built gyrocopter crashed into a densely wooded area in desoto county, MS approximately 1600 feet from the runway and subsequently caught fire and burned. A singular person interviewed happened to be hunting in the woods not FAR from the crash scene stated that he heard a bang which he passed off as a gun shot from another hunter. The individual proceeded to leave the woods at dark, approximately 17:15 and saw what the thought was a grass fire. He then went to a nearby house and called 911. Upon arrival, responding to what the fire department thought was a brush fire, the fire fighting personnel realized once they got close enough that the fire was caused by an aircraft crash. It was at that point that the accident was reported to the FAA. The aircraft and fatalities were badly burned due to the post crash fire. The aircraft data plate was found, but unreadable. The identity of the fatalities and aircraft were corroborated due to a missing aircraft from the eagle's Ridge airport. Examination of the trees indicated that the aircraft descended at a rapid rate at approximately a 75 degree angle to terrain. The damage to the aircraft landing gear also indicated that it impacted on its left hand side. A search for pilot and aircraft logbooks was conducted and still continues. It may become clear that the records were in the aircraft and burned. An amendment to this report will be made as the investigation continues.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 02, 2017, A AMATEUR BUILT GYROCOPTER CRASHED INTO A DENSELY WOODED AREA IN DESOTO COUNTY, MS APPROXIMATELY 1600 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY AND SUBSEQUENTLY CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED. A SINGULAR PERSON INTERVIEWED HAPPENED TO BE HUNTING IN THE WOODS NOT FAR FROM THE CRASH SCENE STATED THAT HE HEARD A BANG WHICH HE PASSED OFF AS A GUN SHOT FROM ANOTHER HUNTER. THE INDIVIDUAL PROCEEDED TO LEAVE THE WOODS AT DARK, APPROXIMATELY 17:15 AND SAW WHAT THE THOUGHT WAS A GRASS FIRE. HE THEN WENT TO A NEARBY HOUSE AND CALLED 911. UPON ARRIVAL, RESPONDING TO WHAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THOUGHT WAS A BRUSH FIRE, THE FIRE FIGHTING PERSONNEL REALIZED ONCE THEY GOT CLOSE ENOUGH THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN AIRCRAFT CRASH. IT WAS AT THAT POINT THAT THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE FAA. THE AIRCRAFT AND FATALITIES WERE BADLY BURNED DUE TO THE POST CRASH FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT DATA PLATE WAS FOUND, BUT UNREADABLE. THE IDENTITY OF THE FATALITIES AND AIRCRAFT WERE CORROBORATED DUE TO A MISSING AIRCRAFT FROM THE EAGLE'S RIDGE AIRPORT. EXAMINATION OF THE TREES INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED AT A RAPID RATE AT APPROXIMATELY A 75 DEGREE ANGLE TO TERRAIN. THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR ALSO INDICATED THAT IT IMPACTED ON ITS LEFT HAND SIDE. A SEARCH FOR PILOT AND AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS WAS CONDUCTED AND STILL CONTINUES. IT MAY BECOME CLEAR THAT THE RECORDS WERE IN THE AIRCRAFT AND BURNED. AN AMENDMENT TO THIS REPORT WILL BE MADE AS THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.