# NTSB CEN21LA447: Morgan Sport Copter Vortex, N924WG, Kingsland, TX, September 19, 2021

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: September 19, 2021, 11:00 local (03:00 UTC)
- Place: Kingsland, TX
- Coordinates: 30.6582, -98.4406 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.6582&lon=-98.4406&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: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration
- NTSB case key (mKey): 103951
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21LA447
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103951/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103951
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA447

## Probable cause

The pilot’s diverted attention which resulted in an inadvertent descent and subsequent collision with a lake.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Michael W Morgan SPORT COPTER VORTEX, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=056304X), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Attention/monitoring: attention](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Michael W Morgan SPORT COPTER VORTEX, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510/cases.md?model=056304X), [All aircraft, 226 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510/cases.md)
- [Terrain: water](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021020): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Michael W Morgan SPORT COPTER VORTEX, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021020/cases.md?model=056304X), [All aircraft, 97 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021020/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Initial climb: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Michael W Morgan SPORT COPTER VORTEX, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=056304X), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)
- [Initial climb: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Michael W Morgan SPORT COPTER VORTEX, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=056304X), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot reported that the gyroplane took off uneventfully. About 400 ft above the ground, the pilot’s hat started to blow off in the wind. Concerned his hat and headset would blow off into the pusher propeller, he adjusted his hat and headset to insure they were secure, but “lost focus on flying.” By the time he’d secured his hat and headset, the gyroplane was at too low of an altitude to recover from the descent. It impacted in a lake about ¼ mile from the departure end of the runway. The gyroplane’s main rotor assembly sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operations.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N924WG](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N924WG-2023-03-04), registration cancelled 2023-03-04, S/N 048, built 2011 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MORGAN SPORT COPTER VORTEX
- Registry model: [Michael W Morgan SPORT COPTER VORTEX](https://openairdocs.org/model/michael-w-morgan-sport-copter-vortex) (registry code 056304X) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Rotax 582SER](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-582ser) (registry code 55556, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 048
- Year built: 2011
- Airframe hours: 363
- Engines: Rotax 582 65 hp reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, December 15, 2019, 16 hours before
- Airport: 44TE, Shirley Williams Airport, runway 16, 2,600 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment: Unknown

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 80; injuries: none; commercial, sport pilot; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: sport pilot, with waivers/limitations; last flight review December 7, 2020; seat: center; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 3,084 total, 72 in this make and model, 22 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observed at: KDZB, 9 nm away
- METAR: KDZB 191555Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 31/20 A3001 RMK AO2 T03080202

## 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 20210919015929A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210919015929A), Sep 19, 2021: Michael W Morgan SPORT COPTER VORTEX, Kingsland, TX, Substantial damage. Pilot took off from runway 16 at Shirley Williams Airstrip (44TE) near Kingsland Texas at 11AM. Climbed to 4OO feet when the pilots ball cap and headset was…

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 5, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103951. 7.4 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 6.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12937712&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- On scene photos - courtesy of the pilot's family (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 803 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12938346&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=on%20scene%20photos%20final-Rel.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.

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