- Date
- June 3, 1990, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rome, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2173BAir Command 532
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900603017929A
- Case key
- 8081
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot attempted a flat spiraling spin maneuver at an altitude that was too low to effect a safe recovery.
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 pilot was demonstrating the capabilities of the home built gyrocopter. During a flat spiraling spin to a reasonable recovery altitude maneuver, the main rotor of the aircraft struck the ground. The pilot is a low time pilot with no helicopter experience.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2173B
- Reported as
- Air Command 532
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1
- Airframe hours
- 16
- Engine
- Rotax 532, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Randal Stiles
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · June 3, 1990 · 10 hours before
- Airport
- RMG · Rome
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 208 total · 14 in this make and model · 186 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FTY, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.