- Date
- July 6, 2011, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Decker, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N25VKVan Kalker John E RAF 2000 GTX SE
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 6, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-Indianapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110706012089A
- Case key
- 81012
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 improper landing flare, which resulted in the gyroplane's main rotor contacting the runway surface.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the certified flight instructor, during the training flight he retarded engine power while the airplane was on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, in order to simulate an engine failure. During the flare for the simulated forced landing, the main rotor blade of the gyroplane struck the ground, and it rolled over on its left side. The pilot reported there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the gyroplane.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that during the training flight, he retarded engine power during the downwind leg of the traffic pattern in order to simulate an engine failure. During the flare for the simulated forced landing the main rotor blade of the gyroplane struck the ground directly behind the aircraft which resulted in the gyroplane rolling over on its left side. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the gyroplane prior to the accident. The aircraft received substantial damage which included a bent keel, a bent/broken rotor mast, a damaged main rotor blade, empennage damage, a cracked cabin, and a broken propeller.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25VK
- Reported as
- Van Kalker John E RAF 2000 GTX SE
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 251
- Airframe hours
- 475
- Engine
- Subaru ALL MDLS A/B, 400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 5, 2011
- Departed
- 0IN1 · Decker, IN
- Destination
- 0IN1 · Decker, IN
- Airport
- 0IN1 · Snider Field Airport, runway 15, 2,000 × 75 ft, grass/turf
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 20, 2011
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 13,400 total · 450 in this make and model · 4,020 as pilot in command · 220 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 0IN1
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 6, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 580 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.