What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
After several hours of delays, the pilot was confident that the aircraft was ready for its first test flight with him at the controls. The pilot had never flown this type of gyroplane equipped with the Rotax 915 is engine before, and was surprised by the amount of yaw produced by the extra 35% of power. The aircraft entered a sideslip, which was erroneously identified by the pilot as a flight control malfunction. The aircraft climbed to about 50 feet AGL at about 50 knots groundspeed with a significant (30+ degree) sideslip angle, and then settled back toward the ground. The pilot aimed the gyroplane away from hard surfaces, and the aircraft impacted terrain, resulting in damage to the aircraft and lacerations to the pilots head.
As the FAA filed it
AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF DELAYS, THE PILOT WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS READY FOR ITS FIRST TEST FLIGHT WITH HIM AT THE CONTROLS. THE PILOT HAD NEVER FLOWN THIS TYPE OF GYROPLANE EQUIPPED WITH THE ROTAX 915 IS ENGINE BEFORE, AND WAS SURPRISED BY THE AMOUNT OF YAW PRODUCED BY THE EXTRA 35% OF POWER. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A SIDESLIP, WHICH WAS ERRONEOUSLY IDENTIFIED BY THE PILOT AS A FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION. THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 50 FEET AGL AT ABOUT 50 KNOTS GROUNDSPEED WITH A SIGNIFICANT (30+ DEGREE) SIDESLIP ANGLE, AND THEN SETTLED BACK TOWARD THE GROUND. THE PILOT AIMED THE GYROPLANE AWAY FROM HARD SURFACES, AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TERRAIN, RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND LACERATIONS TO THE PILOTS HEAD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.