What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A group of 2 gyrocopters departed the mankato MN airport (mkt) and flew to the le sueur MN airport (12Y) to perform touch and go’s. the 2 aircraft departed 12Y flying along the river valley back towards mkt. PIC from the second aircraft stated they were flying mostly side by side flying low over the river as they have done several times before. As they neared Saint Peter MN the second aircraft climbed to about 600 feet AGL to clear the bridges and power lines near town. He stated he was not paying attention to the accident aircraft at the time but saw a flash below him, when he looked down, he saw a splash in the river. The aircraft came to rest on its side in water 3-5 feet deep. A witness on scene stated seeing the aircraft strike a powerline then flipping upside down and falling into the river. The powerline was not cut but did have damage from the impact. Damage to the aircraft included main rotor blades bent, missing nose wheel and fork, main support frame fractured, missing horizontal stabilizer, rudder broken off hinges, and 2 of 4 propeller blades broken. Engine monitor, PFD and engine control module were removed from the aircraft and sent to the NTSB lab for data recovery. An examination of the aircraft was performed at the kit manufacturers facility at a later date. Control continuity was confirmed on all engine and flight controls. The engine was rotated, thumb compression and suction was confirmed on all cylinders, engine oil was clean and at the proper level. The oil filter was cut open and inspected with no discrepancies noted.
As the FAA filed it
A GROUP OF 2 GYROCOPTERS DEPARTED THE MANKATO MN AIRPORT (MKT) AND FLEW TO THE LE SUEUR MN AIRPORT (12Y) TO PERFORM TOUCH AND GO’S. THE 2 AIRCRAFT DEPARTED 12Y FLYING ALONG THE RIVER VALLEY BACK TOWARDS MKT. PIC FROM THE SECOND AIRCRAFT STATED THEY WERE FLYING MOSTLY SIDE BY SIDE FLYING LOW OVER THE RIVER AS THEY HAVE DONE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. AS THEY NEARED SAINT PETER MN THE SECOND AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO ABOUT 600 FEET AGL TO CLEAR THE BRIDGES AND POWER LINES NEAR TOWN. HE STATED HE WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME BUT SAW A FLASH BELOW HIM, WHEN HE LOOKED DOWN, HE SAW A SPLASH IN THE RIVER. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS SIDE IN WATER 3-5 FEET DEEP. A WITNESS ON SCENE STATED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT STRIKE A POWERLINE THEN FLIPPING UPSIDE DOWN AND FALLING INTO THE RIVER. THE POWERLINE WAS NOT CUT BUT DID HAVE DAMAGE FROM THE IMPACT. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDED MAIN ROTOR BLADES BENT, MISSING NOSE WHEEL AND FORK, MAIN SUPPORT FRAME FRACTURED, MISSING HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, RUDDER BROKEN OFF HINGES, AND 2 OF 4 PROPELLER BLADES BROKEN. ENGINE MONITOR, PFD AND ENGINE CONTROL MODULE WERE REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND SENT TO THE NTSB LAB FOR DATA RECOVERY. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMED AT THE KIT MANUFACTURERS FACILITY AT A LATER DATE. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED ON ALL ENGINE AND FLIGHT CONTROLS. THE ENGINE WAS ROTATED, THUMB COMPRESSION AND SUCTION WAS CONFIRMED ON ALL CYLINDERS, ENGINE OIL WAS CLEAN AND AT THE PROPER LEVEL. THE OIL FILTER WAS CUT OPEN AND INSPECTED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.