- Date
- September 26, 2013, 11:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Watkins, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N728PJTreidel Mark/R F D Dominator
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130926021129A
- Case key
- 88148
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 loss of control of the gyroplane during takeoff roll, following his inadvertent release of the cyclic control.
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
During the takeoff roll, the pilot stated that the cyclic control slipped out of his hand, followed by an abrupt pitch up of the gyroplane. After becoming airborne for a brief time, the gyroplane descended tail first onto the runway and then cartwheeled several times, coming to rest on its right side. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
During the takeoff roll, the pilot stated that the cyclic control slipped out of his hand, followed by an abrupt pitch up of the gyroplane. After becoming airborne for a brief time, the gyroplane descended tail first onto the runway and then cartwheeled several times, coming to rest on its right side. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N728PJ
- Reported as
- Treidel Mark/R F D Dominator (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Gyroplane
- Serial number
- MT-001
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 225
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Egan James C
- Registered owner
- Egan James C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 16, 2013
- Departed
- FTG · Watkins, CO
- Destination
- FTG · Watkins, CO
- Airport
- FTG · Front Range, runway 26, 8,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 73
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Last flight review
- April 25, 2013
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4,953 total · 26 in this make and model · 4,550 as pilot in command · 0 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- FTG, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 13, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 MB 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.