What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 25, 2023, about 1400 eastern daylight time, an experimental American ranger AR-1, gyroplane, privacy data omitted, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near gainesville, Georgia. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight.
According to a witness, they were outside when they heard a loud crash over at their neighbor’s house. They contacted the local authorities, and when they arrived the gyroplane was in the neighbors cow pasture.
An examination of the accident site revealed that the gyroplane collided with a powerline, and it was entangled in the main rotor blades, mast, and fuselage. The gyroplane came to rest about 100 yards from the initial impact point of the powerline. The powerlines extended across the gyroplane line of flight and was about 75 ft in height on private property. All flight control surfaces were located at the wreckage site. The gyroplane was on 345° heading. The rotor head and part of the mast was broken away from the main fuselage. Both main rotor blades were still attached to the rotor head and buckled throughout the span of the blades. The tail plane broke away from the keel and was located about 15 ft in front of the cockpit. The rudder was separated from the tailplane and located about 10 ft forward of the tailplane.
The engine remained attached to the fuselage and appeared intact. All three propeller blades remained attached to the engine. No signs of catastrophic failure were evident on the engine. Initial examination of the engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The airplane was recovered and retained for further examination. Examination of the engine will take place including an engine run if possible. The witness stated they only heard the accident and reported the engine was sputtering but may have been when the aircraft was crashing.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 25, 2023, ABOUT 1400 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMERICAN RANGER AR-1, GYROPLANE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, THEY WERE OUTSIDE WHEN THEY HEARD A LOUD CRASH OVER AT THEIR NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE. THEY CONTACTED THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES, AND WHEN THEY ARRIVED THE GYROPLANE WAS IN THE NEIGHBORS COW PASTURE.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE GYROPLANE COLLIDED WITH A POWERLINE, AND IT WAS ENTANGLED IN THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES, MAST, AND FUSELAGE. THE GYROPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 100 YARDS FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT OF THE POWERLINE. THE POWERLINES EXTENDED ACROSS THE GYROPLANE LINE OF FLIGHT AND WAS ABOUT 75 FT IN HEIGHT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. ALL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES WERE LOCATED AT THE WRECKAGE SITE. THE GYROPLANE WAS ON 345° HEADING. THE ROTOR HEAD AND PART OF THE MAST WAS BROKEN AWAY FROM THE MAIN FUSELAGE. BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE ROTOR HEAD AND BUCKLED THROUGHOUT THE SPAN OF THE BLADES. THE TAIL PLANE BROKE AWAY FROM THE KEEL AND WAS LOCATED ABOUT 15 FT IN FRONT OF THE COCKPIT. THE RUDDER WAS SEPARATED FROM THE TAILPLANE AND LOCATED ABOUT 10 FT FORWARD OF THE TAILPLANE.
THE ENGINE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE AND APPEARED INTACT. ALL THREE PROPELLER BLADES REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE. NO SIGNS OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WERE EVIDENT ON THE ENGINE. INITIAL EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION.
THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED AND RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE WILL TAKE PLACE INCLUDING AN ENGINE RUN IF POSSIBLE. THE WITNESS STATED THEY ONLY HEARD THE ACCIDENT AND REPORTED THE ENGINE WAS SPUTTERING BUT MAY HAVE BEEN WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRASHING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.