- Date
- May 10, 1986, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Suffolk, VA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N202MMilliken Gyrocopter B-80
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860510027249A
- Case key
- 11228
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
According to a plt witness the accident plt was attempting to compensate for an increase in wind velocity when the accident occurred. The witness stated the plt entered a steep dive to compensate for the increase lift followed by the gyrocopter ballooning due to the increase in airspeed which resulted from the dive. The gryocopter then nosed over and the rotor blades contacted the rudder. The gyrocopter then descended uncontrolled to ground impact.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N202M
- Reported as
- Milliken Gyrocopter B-80 (GYROCOPTER)
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CWM001
- Airframe hours
- 10
- Engine
- McCulloch 4318G, 72 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- C.W. Milliken
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · April 24, 1986 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- Suffolk, VA
- Destination
- Portsmouth, VA
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 5 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 17 knots, gusting 6
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PHF, 22 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.