OpenAirDocs.org

20181030021199A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Cavalon Gyro AUTOGYRO CAVALON · Sebring, FL · October 30, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 30, 2018 · 14:48 local
Place
Sebring, FL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N198LT
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA19FA034
Reported as
Cavalon Gyro Autogyro Cavalon
Reported engine
ROTAX 914UL
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,500 total
N198LTRegistration cancelled Oct 3, 2020 · Cavalon Gyro AUTOGYRO CAVALONS/N V00299 · Built 2017Airframe modelCavalon Gyro AUTOGYRO CAVALONEngine modelRotax 914UL4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On October 30, 2018, about 1448 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built auto-gyro Cavalon gyrocopter, N198LT, was destroyed during collision with a power pole, wires, terrain, a residence and a post-crash fire following a forced landing in Sebring, Florida. The commercial pilot and the pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight which departed Sebring regional airport (sef) about 1440 and was destined for manatee airport (48X), palmetto, FL. Fuel receipts were obtained verifying aircraft was fueled approximately 15 minutes before accident.

A rotorcraft rated witness stated he observed the gyro on a northwest track at about 300FT AGL then turned east and entered autorotation at 150FT AGL the nosed dropped and started turning north, descended from view and a fireball erupted.

Preliminary radar information revealed the radar target identified as the accident gyroplane was acquired at 500 feet and its track depicted a climb to about 1,000 feet where it assumed a cruise profile on an approximate on-course heading (280°) for 48X. The radar track traversed the southern border of lake jackson, Sebring, Florida. About 1446, the radar data depicted a descent profile that began about 1,000 feet over the southwestern shore of the lake. The descent followed the curve of the shoreline to

The northwest, and the radar target disappeared at 900 feet and 90 knots groundspeed, about 4/tenths of a mile southeast of the accident site. A check of the commercial website liveatc. Net captured a mayday call from the aircraft as it went down along with the sounds of impact. Engine surging can distinctly be heard in the background of the call.

At 1515, the weather recorded at sef included clear skies, 10 miles visibility, and winds from 030 degrees at 6 knots. The temperature was 28°c, and the dew point was 13°c. the altimeter setting was 30.07 inches of mercury.

A check of records for the pilot-in-command shows he was current and qualified who was also DPE that supplied training to the FAA.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 30, 2018, ABOUT 1448 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT AUTO-GYRO CAVALON GYROCOPTER, N198LT, WAS DESTROYED DURING COLLISION WITH A POWER POLE, WIRES, TERRAIN, A RESIDENCE AND A POST-CRASH FIRE FOLLOWING A FORCED LANDING IN SEBRING, FLORIDA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT WHICH DEPARTED SEBRING REGIONAL AIRPORT (SEF) ABOUT 1440 AND WAS DESTINED FOR MANATEE AIRPORT (48X), PALMETTO, FL. FUEL RECEIPTS WERE OBTAINED VERIFYING AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES BEFORE ACCIDENT.

A ROTORCRAFT RATED WITNESS STATED HE OBSERVED THE GYRO ON A NORTHWEST TRACK AT ABOUT 300FT AGL THEN TURNED EAST AND ENTERED AUTOROTATION AT 150FT AGL THE NOSED DROPPED AND STARTED TURNING NORTH, DESCENDED FROM VIEW AND A FIREBALL ERUPTED.

PRELIMINARY RADAR INFORMATION REVEALED THE RADAR TARGET IDENTIFIED AS THE ACCIDENT GYROPLANE WAS ACQUIRED AT 500 FEET AND ITS TRACK DEPICTED A CLIMB TO ABOUT 1,000 FEET WHERE IT ASSUMED A CRUISE PROFILE ON AN APPROXIMATE ON-COURSE HEADING (280°) FOR 48X. THE RADAR TRACK TRAVERSED THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF LAKE JACKSON, SEBRING, FLORIDA. ABOUT 1446, THE RADAR DATA DEPICTED A DESCENT PROFILE THAT BEGAN ABOUT 1,000 FEET OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN SHORE OF THE LAKE. THE DESCENT FOLLOWED THE CURVE OF THE SHORELINE TO

THE NORTHWEST, AND THE RADAR TARGET DISAPPEARED AT 900 FEET AND 90 KNOTS GROUNDSPEED, ABOUT 4/TENTHS OF A MILE SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. A CHECK OF THE COMMERCIAL WEBSITE LIVEATC.NET CAPTURED A MAYDAY CALL FROM THE AIRCRAFT AS IT WENT DOWN ALONG WITH THE SOUNDS OF IMPACT. ENGINE SURGING CAN DISTINCTLY BE HEARD IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE CALL.

AT 1515, THE WEATHER RECORDED AT SEF INCLUDED CLEAR SKIES, 10 MILES VISIBILITY, AND WINDS FROM 030 DEGREES AT 6 KNOTS. THE TEMPERATURE WAS 28°C, AND THE DEW POINT WAS 13°C. THE ALTIMETER SETTING WAS 30.07 INCHES OF MERCURY.

A CHECK OF RECORDS FOR THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND SHOWS HE WAS CURRENT AND QUALIFIED WHO WAS ALSO DPE THAT SUPPLIED TRAINING TO THE FAA.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA19FA034Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportSebring, FLThe pilot's improper decision to operate the gyroplane in an unairworthy condition, which resulted in the cyclic pitch control disconnecting in flight. Contributing was the pilot's inability to maintain control of the helicopter utilizing the published…Oct 30, 2018 · Destroyed