- Date
- July 21, 2012, 14:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Shiocton, WI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N115WBBertram William J Bertram 2000
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-MKE-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120721014459A
- Case key
- 84401
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’s distraction with taking photographs, which resulted in his failure to maintain sufficient altitude to avoid the guy wire.
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 pilot of the gyrocopter reported that he was taking aerial photos of the airport. He stated he was flying toward the airport and trying to take photos when he realized he was getting too close to the airport. He initiated a turn downwind away from the airport at which time the gyrocopter lost altitude. The lower right side of the fuselage and the right landing gear strut contacted a guy wire attached to a utility pole alongside the highway that bordered the south side of the airport. The gyrocopter then descended, impacted terrain, and came to rest in a ditch alongside the highway, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical tail surfaces and the main rotor blades. The pilot stated that he was distracted by trying to use the camera and that he was not paying attention to the surroundings when the accident occurred.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported he was taking aerial photos of the airport where he is based out of, as they were hosting a fly-in. He stated he was flying toward the airport and trying to take photos when he realized he was getting too close to the airport. He initiated a turn downwind away from the airport, at which time the gyrocopter lost altitude. The lower right side of the fuselage and the right landing gear strut contacted a guy wire attached to a utility pole alongside the highway which bordered the south side of the airport. The gyrocopter then descended to the terrain and came to rest in a ditch alongside the highway substantially damaging the vertical tail surfaces, and the main rotor blades. The pilot stated that he was distracted by trying to use the camera and that he was not paying attention to the surroundings when the accident occurred.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N115WB
- Reported as
- Bertram William J Bertram 2000
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- H2 06 17 673
- Airframe hours
- 600
- Engine
- Subaru J 2.5, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William J. Bertram
- Registered owner
- Bertram Forest System LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 27, 2011 · 65 hours before
- Departed
- W34 · Schiocton, WI
- Destination
- W34 · Schiocton, WI
- Airport
- W34 · shiocton
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
- 58
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,197 total · 500 in this make and model · 38 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- ATW, 14 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 9, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.