- Date
- March 31, 2012, 15:55 local (20:55 UTC)
- Place
- Anahuac, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N9012RRuiz E RAF 2000
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 14, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120331005519A
- Case key
- 83297
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 student pilot's improper nosewheel and cyclic positioning during the taxi, which resulted in the gyroplane's main rotor contacting the runway surface. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision.
Findings · 3
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
The student pilot and flight instructor were practicing takeoffs, flight maneuvers, and landings in the student pilot's gyroplane. After landing on the runway with a right crosswind, the student pilot attempted to taxi the gyroplane back to the hangar. During the taxi forward, the gyroplane began to roll to the right and the rotor blades contacted the runway. The student pilot stated that the nosewheel and cyclic positions at the time of the forward taxi were likely the reasons for the roll to the right; this statement was consistent with the student pilot not repositioning the nosewheel and cyclic after the landing to a safe taxi position. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage structure. The student pilot and flight instructor reported no mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The student pilot and flight instructor were practicing some takeoffs, flight maneuvers, and landings in the student pilot's gyroplane. After landing on the runway with a right crosswind, the student pilot attempted to taxi the gyroplane back to the hangar. During the taxi forward, the gyroplane began to roll to the right and the rotor blades contacted the runway. The student pilot felt the nose wheel and cyclic positions at the time of the forward taxi were the reasons for the roll to the right. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage structure. The student pilot and flight instructor reported no mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9012R
- Reported as
- Ruiz E RAF 2000
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- H2-99-10-436
- Airframe hours
- 97
- Engine
- Subaru ALL MDLS A/B, 400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- On File
- Registered owner
- On File
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- T00 · Anahuac, TX
- Destination
- T00 · Anahuac, TX
- Airport
- T00 · Chambers County Airport
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- HOU, 33 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 3, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 80 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.