What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was flying a VFR leg from zephyrhills airport to sebring with another gyro aircraft. At cruise speed of approximately 90 knots and 900 feet AGL, the pilot experienced a loud bang with accompanied power loss. The pilot selected an emergency landing area which seemed suitable. The area was actually a phosphate mine which uses a gypsum mud lake approximately 50 feet deep to extract phosphate. The aircraft landed softly, but due to the instability of the ground the aircraft tilted slightly and the rotor and propeller struck the ground and came to a complete stop. The pilot was unable to exit the mud, and was eventually rescued by a coast guard helicopter with a rescue hoist. Analysis of the engine completed by a Rotax engine specialist showed no damage to the engine. A significant amount of water was found in the fuel system, and the fuel was heavily contaminated. The fuel system was intact and showed no indication exposure to contaminants from outside. The fuel system was drained, refilled with new fuel, and the engine ran normally. The fuel was purchased at a gas station near the north tampa airport the day prior to the incident. Due to the damage to the aircraft rotor which adversely affects the flight characteristics of the vehicle, the case is deemed an accident.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS FLYING A VFR LEG FROM ZEPHYRHILLS AIRPORT TO SEBRING WITH ANOTHER GYRO AIRCRAFT. AT CRUISE SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 90 KNOTS AND 900 FEET AGL, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A LOUD BANG WITH ACCOMPANIED POWER LOSS. THE PILOT SELECTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING AREA WHICH SEEMED SUITABLE. THE AREA WAS ACTUALLY A PHOSPHATE MINE WHICH USES A GYPSUM MUD LAKE APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET DEEP TO EXTRACT PHOSPHATE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SOFTLY, BUT DUE TO THE INSTABILITY OF THE GROUND THE AIRCRAFT TILTED SLIGHTLY AND THE ROTOR AND PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO EXIT THE MUD, AND WAS EVENTUALLY RESCUED BY A COAST GUARD HELICOPTER WITH A RESCUE HOIST. ANALYSIS OF THE ENGINE COMPLETED BY A ROTAX ENGINE SPECIALIST SHOWED NO DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WATER WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL SYSTEM, AND THE FUEL WAS HEAVILY CONTAMINATED. THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS INTACT AND SHOWED NO INDICATION EXPOSURE TO CONTAMINANTS FROM OUTSIDE. THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS DRAINED, REFILLED WITH NEW FUEL, AND THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY. THE FUEL WAS PURCHASED AT A GAS STATION NEAR THE NORTH TAMPA AIRPORT THE DAY PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. DUE TO THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT ROTOR WHICH ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VEHICLE, THE CASE IS DEEMED AN ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.