- Date
- June 5, 2015, 18:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Sikeston, MO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N229MGBrewer Sportcopter Votex M
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150605008359A
- Case key
- 91323
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 inadvertently reducing engine power to the idle position while maneuvering at a low altitude.
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
While maneuvering the gyroplane at a low altitude, the pilot inadvertently moved the engine throttle to idle. The pilot initially thought his engine had lost power and proceeded to set up for a forced landing. During the attempted forced landing, the pilot instinctively applied engine power to soften the landing, and the engine responded appropriately. The right main landing gear contacted the terrain, and the gyroplane rolled over. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and vertical stabilizer. The pilot stated there were no mechanical issues or anomalies noted with the gyroplane. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
While maneuvering the gyroplane at a low altitude, the pilot inadvertently moved the engine throttle to idle. The pilot initially thought his engine had lost power and proceeded to set up for a forced landing. During the attempted forced landing, the pilot instinctively applied engine power to soften the landing, and the engine responded appropriately. The right main landing gear contacted the terrain, and the gyroplane rolled over. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and vertical stabilizer. The pilot stated there were no mechanical issues or anomalies noted with the gyroplane. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N229MG
- Reported as
- Brewer Sportcopter Votex M
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 175
- Built
- 2015
- Airframe hours
- 20.5
- Engine
- Rotax 912, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John A Brewer
- Registered owner
- John A Brewer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- Sikeston, MO
- Destination
- Sikeston, 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
- 69
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Private, Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 30, 2014
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,675 total · 275 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- CGI, 20 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 891 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.