20201216020379A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Mauro C Dal Canto AR-1 · Heber, UT · December 16, 2020

Date: December 16, 2020 · 14:17 local
Place: Heber, UT
Airport: Heber Valley
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N261MD
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR21LA070
Reported as: Mauro C Dal Canto AR-1
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,900 total

N261MDRegistration cancelled Jun 26, 2023 · Mauro C Dal Canto AR-1S/N 0048 · Built 2020 Airframe modelMauro C Dal Canto AR-1 Engine modelRotax 915 IS series4 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.

According to video taken of the accident, 11 seconds after takeoff the aircraft nosed up, made a left oscillation followed by a hard right turn and bank. A witness in the video reported full right rudder at this point. In the right turn, the rotor head would have lost lift and a puff of smoke can be seen where a rotor blade contacts the tail and engine propeller. At 26 seconds from takeoff, the aircraft crashes in a nose down vertical position causing substantial damage to the aircraft and fatally injuring the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO VIDEO TAKEN OF THE ACCIDENT, 11 SECONDS AFTER TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT NOSED UP, MADE A LEFT OSCILLATION FOLLOWED BY A HARD RIGHT TURN AND BANK. A WITNESS IN THE VIDEO REPORTED FULL RIGHT RUDDER AT THIS POINT. IN THE RIGHT TURN, THE ROTOR HEAD WOULD HAVE LOST LIFT AND A PUFF OF SMOKE CAN BE SEEN WHERE A ROTOR BLADE CONTACTS THE TAIL AND ENGINE PROPELLER. AT 26 SECONDS FROM TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHES IN A NOSE DOWN VERTICAL POSITION CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND FATALLY INJURING THE PILOT.

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 WPR21LA070Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportHeber City, UTThe pilot’s failure to follow the procedures for takeoff in the Pilot Operating Handbook, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with the terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to receive additional training in the gyroplane.Dec 16, 2020 · Substantial damage