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20260513009579A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Chris Toeppen CAVALON · Palo Alto, CA · May 13, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 13, 2026 · 15:35 local
Place
Palo Alto, CA
Airport
Palo Alto
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N40CT
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR26LA194
Reported as
Chris Toeppen Cavalon
Reported engine
ROTAX 914UL
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,662 total148 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days
N40CTRegistered now · Chris Toeppen CAVALONS/N V00300 · Built 2018Airframe modelChris Toeppen CAVALONEngine modelRotax 914UL4 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.

The pilot of the gyrocopter reported that during his approach to land on runway 31, the reported wind information indicated a gusting crosswind from the left. On final approach the gyrocopter required left stick and right rudder inputs to remain lined up with the runway. The

Pilot queried the air traffic control tower for the current wind conditions prior to landing, and was told 250° at 13 knots, gusting to 20 knots. The pilot intended to touch down with the left main landing gear wheel first, however, a wind gust pushed the gyrocopter to the right during the landing sequence and the right main landing gear wheel "came down hard." The pilot released the crosswind correction input and moved the control stick to the center, causing the gyrocopter to continue toward the right side of the runway. The gyrocopter subsequently exited the right side of the runway, rolled over and came to rest on its right side. The fuselage and main rotor driveshaft were substantially damaged.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT OF THE GYROCOPTER REPORTED THAT DURING HIS APPROACH TO LAND ON RUNWAY 31, THE REPORTED WIND INFORMATION INDICATED A GUSTING CROSSWIND FROM THE LEFT. ON FINAL APPROACH THE GYROCOPTER REQUIRED LEFT STICK AND RIGHT RUDDER INPUTS TO REMAIN LINED UP WITH THE RUNWAY. THE

PILOT QUERIED THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER FOR THE CURRENT WIND CONDITIONS PRIOR TO LANDING, AND WAS TOLD 250° AT 13 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 20 KNOTS. THE PILOT INTENDED TO TOUCH DOWN WITH THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL FIRST, HOWEVER, A WIND GUST PUSHED THE GYROCOPTER TO THE RIGHT DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL "CAME DOWN HARD." THE PILOT RELEASED THE CROSSWIND CORRECTION INPUT AND MOVED THE CONTROL STICK TO THE CENTER, CAUSING THE GYROCOPTER TO CONTINUE TOWARD THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE GYROCOPTER SUBSEQUENTLY EXITED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, ROLLED OVER AND CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE FUSELAGE AND MAIN ROTOR DRIVESHAFT WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO PREACCIDENT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION.

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 WPR26LA194Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportPalo Alto, CAThe pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, in gusting crosswind conditions.May 13, 2026 · Substantial damage