- Date
- July 17, 2014, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cape Girardeau, MO
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N216MGGremminger Greg Magni M 16
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-St Louis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140717012799A
- Case key
- 89710
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 failure to maintain sufficient altitude while maneuvering which led to a collision with power lines.
Findings · 2
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 reported that he was performing a local flight in a gyroplane. He stated that he flew the gyroplane for an unknown period of time and then regained consciousness in a field after the accident. He reported that there was a transection of a nearby power line and that the gyroplane suffered damage to the propeller, main rotor, landing gear, and fuselage. He reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the gyroplane. A witness reported seeing the gyroplane flying about 20 to 30 feet above ground level. He stated the pilot was waving at him. He noticed that the gyroplane was heading for a set of power lines nearby and he began waving to the pilot as a warning. The witness reported that the gyroplane struck the top wire of the power transmission wires, and then lost control and impacted the ground.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was performing a local flight in a gyroplane. He stated that he flew the gyroplane for an unknown period of time and then regained consciousness in a field after the accident. He reported that there was a transection of a nearby power line and that the gyroplane suffered damage to the propeller, main rotor, landing gear, and fuselage. He reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the gyroplane. A witness reported seeing the gyroplane flying about 20 to 30 feet above ground level. He stated the pilot was waving at him. He noticed that the gyroplane was heading for a set of power lines nearby and he began waving to the pilot as a warning. The witness reported that the gyroplane struck the top wire of the power transmission wires, and then lost control and impacted the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N216MG
- Reported as
- Gremminger Greg Magni M 16 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 16-01-1774
- Built
- 2002
- Airframe hours
- 3,026
- Engine
- Rotax 914UL, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Magniflight LLC
- Registered owner
- Magniflight LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 12, 2013
- Departed
- CGI · Cape Girardeau, MO
- Destination
- CGI · Cape Girardeau, MO
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
- 48
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 16, 2013
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 550 total · 10 in this make and model · 488 as pilot in command · 112 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- CGI
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 4, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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.