- Date
- April 5, 1987, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Paducah, KY
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6141SAir & Space 18A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 10, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870405079179A
- Case key
- 7403
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt reported that he spun the rotor up to 350 RPM in preparation for a maximum performance takeoff. During takeoff roll, the gyroplane experienced ground resonance. The plt reduced the throttle to idle, but the oscillations continued and the rt main ldg gear collapsed. The rotor subsequently struck the runway and tore loose from the gyroplane. The pilot noted that slight barely noticeable undulations existed in the portion of the rwy surface used duirng the takeoff roll. The FAA approved flt manual (AFM) for the gyroplane contains no emergency operation procedures for ground resonance. The acft operator reported that the plt was taught to takeoff if sufficient rotor RPM was available in the event of ground resonance. The AFM states that any airspeed may be used for takeoff if the rotor does not decay below 140 RPM.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6141S
- Reported as
- Air & Space 18A
- Category
- Gyroplane
- Serial number
- 18-49
- Airframe hours
- 234
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Farrington Aircraft Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 4, 1987 · 5 hours before
- Airport
- KY29 · Farrongton Airpark, runway 4, 2,985 × 60 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,035 total · 27 in this make and model · 3,812 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.