What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Gyrocopter N446PS departed from josÉ Aponte de la Torre airport, ceiba, p.r. (RVR) runway 7, at 1:51PM local time, heading west at 2,000FT, cruising between 55-60 mph. 8 to 10 minutes into the flight, PIC felt a vibration and an abnormal drag. PIC immediately reduced the engine power to assess the situation. As the PIC was reducing power, he felt the engine prop chop the rudder control cables. At that point, privacy data omitted saw the rudder detached from the aircraft and the gyrocopter started spinning to the right. privacy data omitted Turned off the engine to minimize the torque and descended straight down around 20-25 mph until crash-landing next to a tree. In the process, the main blades hit the tree flipping the gyrocopter to the right side. PIC suffered 2 broken vertebrate discs and the aircraft received substantial damage.
As the FAA filed it
GYROCOPTER N446PS DEPARTED FROM JOSÉ APONTE DE LA TORRE AIRPORT, CEIBA, P.R. (RVR) RUNWAY 7, AT 1:51PM LOCAL TIME, HEADING WEST AT 2,000FT, CRUISING BETWEEN 55-60 MPH. 8 TO 10 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, PIC FELT A VIBRATION AND AN ABNORMAL DRAG. PIC IMMEDIATELY REDUCED THE ENGINE POWER TO ASSESS THE SITUATION. AS THE PIC WAS REDUCING POWER, HE FELT THE ENGINE PROP CHOP THE RUDDER CONTROL CABLES. AT THAT POINT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAW THE RUDDER DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE GYROCOPTER STARTED SPINNING TO THE RIGHT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TURNED OFF THE ENGINE TO MINIMIZE THE TORQUE AND DESCENDED STRAIGHT DOWN AROUND 20-25 MPH UNTIL CRASH-LANDING NEXT TO A TREE. IN THE PROCESS, THE MAIN BLADES HIT THE TREE FLIPPING THE GYROCOPTER TO THE RIGHT SIDE. PIC SUFFERED 2 BROKEN VERTEBRATE DISCS AND THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.