# Accident 20220611010319A: Walter S Johnson III AR-1, Butler, PA, June 11, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 11, 2022, 12:35 local time
- Place: Butler, PA
- Airport: Butler County/K W Scholter Fie
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.7766° N, 79.9511° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7766&lon=-79.9511&mi=10
- Aircraft: N688G (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: WALTER S JOHNSON III AR-1
- Reported engine: ROTAX 912ULS SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Sport pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 332 total, 330 in this make and model, 8 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA22LA269](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA269) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220611010319A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DURING DEPARTURE EXPERIENCED BLADE FLAP CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR TO STRIKE THE PROPELLER AND TAIL. THE TAIL SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE THREE PROPELLER BLADES WERE DAMAGED AT THE TIPS.

STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT IS AS FOLLOWS REGARDING THE FACTS OF THE EVENT:

"ON 11 JUNE 2022 I WAS FLYING CHILDREN AS PART OF OUR LOCAL ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.  I WAS PREPARING TO FLY MY FOURTH PASSENGER OF THE DAY AT ABOUT 1230 LOCAL.  WE WOULD BE DEPARTING ON BTP'S RUNWAY 26.  THE WIND WAS JUST LEFT OF CENTERLINE; PERHAPS 220 AT 5 KNOTS.  IT WAS A WARM, BEAUTIFUL, CLEAR DAY AND THE RUNWAY CONDITIONS WERE DRY.  I PRE-ROTATED MY ROTOR BLADES AS USUAL BUT AS I BEGAN MY TAKEOFF ROLL THEY STRUCK BOTH THE TAIL ASSEMBLY AND PROPELLER BLADES.  THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT AND WE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY.  BY THE TIME I GOT THE ENGINE OFF AND GYRO STOPPED WE WERE ABOUT 100' INTO THE GRASS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY; PERHAPS 200' BEYOND THE NUMBERS.  MY PASSENGER AND I REMAINED IN THE GYRO WHILE THE BLADES SPUN DOWN AND STOPPED.  WE BOTH EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.  NEITHER OF US SUFFERED ANY INJURIES."

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA22LA269](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA269), Jun 11, 2022: Walter S Johnson III AR-1 (N688G), Butler, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to monitor rotor disk speed on takeoff, which resulted in blade flapping and the main rotor blades striking the gyroplane’s tail assembly.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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