What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 19, 2019, at approximately 18:30 local time, aircraft N634SC an amateur built experimental gyrocopter, a Sportcopter Vortex, departed runway 29 at the Viroqua municipal airport, Viroqua, WI (Y51) with an expired student pilot at the controls. The witnesses reported the pilot was practicing taxing back and forth. On the last taxi down runway 29 the aircraft became airborne. The aircraft circled around and flew over runway 29 and departed the airport. The witness heard the engine stop, the aircraft was out of sight at the time. A witness heard a thud sound and shortly after smoke was seen near the last visual contact with the aircraft. A witness who saw the smoke went to investigate and found the main rotor first then approximately 20-40 feet after the remaining portion of the aircraft on fire. The location of the rotor and remaining portion of the aircraft was about .40 mile from the runway in a corn/alfalfa field consistent with the last known direction of travel at an approximate heading of 290 degrees. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire. The pilot received fatal injuries from the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 19, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 18:30 LOCAL TIME, AIRCRAFT N634SC AN AMATEUR BUILT EXPERIMENTAL GYROCOPTER, A SPORTCOPTER VORTEX, DEPARTED RUNWAY 29 AT THE VIROQUA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, VIROQUA, WI (Y51) WITH AN EXPIRED STUDENT PILOT AT THE CONTROLS. THE WITNESSES REPORTED THE PILOT WAS PRACTICING TAXING BACK AND FORTH. ON THE LAST TAXI DOWN RUNWAY 29 THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE. THE AIRCRAFT CIRCLED AROUND AND FLEW OVER RUNWAY 29 AND DEPARTED THE AIRPORT. THE WITNESS HEARD THE ENGINE STOP, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OUT OF SIGHT AT THE TIME. A WITNESS HEARD A THUD SOUND AND SHORTLY AFTER SMOKE WAS SEEN NEAR THE LAST VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRCRAFT. A WITNESS WHO SAW THE SMOKE WENT TO INVESTIGATE AND FOUND THE MAIN ROTOR FIRST THEN APPROXIMATELY 20-40 FEET AFTER THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ON FIRE. THE LOCATION OF THE ROTOR AND REMAINING PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT .40 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY IN A CORN/ALFALFA FIELD CONSISTENT WITH THE LAST KNOWN DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AT AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 290 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE. THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES FROM THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.