# NTSB CEN13LA147: Webb Webb 2, N4844W, Gainsville, TX, January 28, 2013 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 28, 2013, 17:45 local (23:45 UTC) - Place: Gainsville, TX - Coordinates: 33.651668, -97.197219 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6517&lon=-97.1972&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 24, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Adminstration - NTSB case key (mKey): 86110 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN13LA147 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/86110/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=86110 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA147 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to follow his test plan and abort the takeoff after inadvertently lifting off during a high speed taxi test. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of flight experience in the gyroplane. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: incorrect action selection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041010): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [John A Webb JR WEBB 2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041010/cases.md?model=05632EJ), [All aircraft, 397 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041010/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [John A Webb JR WEBB 2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md?model=05632EJ), [All aircraft, 1,681 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: climb rate](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062035): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [John A Webb JR WEBB 2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062035/cases.md?model=05632EJ), [All aircraft, 265 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062035/cases.md) - [Experience/qualifications: total experience w/ equipment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031025): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [John A Webb JR WEBB 2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031025/cases.md?model=05632EJ), [All aircraft, 269 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031025/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Taxi: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900); cases with it: [John A Webb JR WEBB 2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md?model=05632EJ), [All aircraft, 1,556 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md) - [Takeoff: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [John A Webb JR WEBB 2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=05632EJ), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [John A Webb JR WEBB 2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05632EJ), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092); cases with it: [John A Webb JR WEBB 2, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=05632EJ), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was performing initial high-speed taxi tests of his experimental amateur-built gyroplane when it inadvertently became airborne. The pilot then initiated a climb above the runway and continued to fly the airplane to return for landing on the departure runway, which was contrary to the test plan. He did not want to fly past the airport boundary nor any of the hangars on the southeast side of the runway, so he initiated a left turn to crosswind. The gyroplane lost altitude faster than the pilot anticipated and became "low, slow, and behind the power curve" at too low of an altitude to recover. The lower tailboom touched down in a hard landing, which deformed the rudder and tailboom. The rotor was damaged when it contacted the ground. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had followed the test plan and landed that gyroplane when it first lifted off. The pilot also stated that a lack of experience in the make and model gyroplane contributed to the accident. ## Factual narrative On January 28, 2013, about 1745 central standard time, an experimental Webb 2, N4844W, descended into terrain while maneuvering in the airport traffic pattern after takeoff at Gainesville Municipal Airport (GLE), Gainesville, Texas. The commercial pilot was attempting a high-speed taxi test when the gyrocraft inadvertently became airborne. The gyrocopter sustained substantial damage to the rotor and tail. The pilot was uninjured. The gyrocopter was registered to and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a test flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that he received a temporary airworthiness certificate for the gyrocraft on January 26, 2013, and attended a Federal Aviation Administration Safety meeting in Olney, Texas. On the day of the accident, the pilot followed his test plan for high-speed taxi tests, which he performed at his home airport. During the fifth taxi text, the gyrocraft was about 3,000 feet down the runway when it "gently" lifted off the runway. The pilot was not "overly concerned" since everything felt "very smooth," and initiated a climb to about 50 feet above ground level at an indicated airspeed of 55-60 mph. He flew the gyrocraft down the runway for about 2,000 feet. He did not want to fly past the airport boundary nor any of the hangars on the southeast side of the runway, so he initiated a left turn to crosswind. The gyrocraft lost altitude faster than the pilot anticipated. The gyrocraft became "low, slow, and behind the power curve" at too low of altitude to recover and to prevent it from "mushing" into a "rough" landing. The lower tailboom touched down in a hard landing, which deformed the rudder and tailboom. The rotor was damaged when it contacted the ground. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had followed the test plan and landed that gyrocraft when it first lifted off. The pilot said that a lack of experience in the make and model of gyroplane contributed to the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4844W](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4844W), registered now, S/N 001, built 2013 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: WEBB WEBB 2 - Registry model: [John A Webb JR WEBB 2](https://openairdocs.org/model/john-a-webb-jr-webb-2) (registry code 05632EJ) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Viking 110](https://openairdocs.org/engine/viking-110) (registry code 63700, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Gyroplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 001 - Airframe hours: 0 - Engines: Viking Conversion of Honda 1.5L 115 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Flight test, Part 91 - Operator: Pilot - Registered owner: Pilot - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, January 28, 2013 - Departed: GLE, Gainsville, TX - Destination: GLE, Gainsville, TX - Airport: GLE, Gainesville Municipal Airport, runway 17, 6,001 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: minor; commercial, sport pilot; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review August 25, 2012; seat: front; flight hours: 1,821 total, 1 in this make and model, 1,560 as pilot in command, 36 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 6,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 29.84 inHg - Observed at: GLE ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20130128004059A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130128004059A), Jan 28, 2013: John A Webb Jr WEBB 2, Gainsville, TX, Substantial damage. Owner received his temporary airworthiness certificate at a safety meeting (1/26/2013) in olney Texas. Owner was working his testing plan. He was conducting… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 20, 2013, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=86110. 4.0 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 4.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40404957&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.