- Date
- November 22, 2022, 16:45, time zone not recorded
- Place
- Iredell, TX · rural
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N44088Seace David A Gyroplane
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20221122018179A
- Case key
- 106365
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 clearance from a power line during low-level maneuvering.
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
The uncertificated pilot departed from a grass field and flew the gyroplane at low altitude over a pipeline right-of-way. The gyroplane struck a power line that the pilot did not see and impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the rotor. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation, and that he should not have flown at low altitude without an observation pass of the area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44088
- Reported as
- Seace David A Gyroplane
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- DAS 2
- Built
- 2004
- Engine
- Subaru, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Seace David A
- Registered owner
- Seace David A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- PRIV · Iredell, TX
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
- 55
- Injuries
- Minor
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 60 total · 30 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KSEP, 10 nm away
- METAR
- KSEP 222215Z AUTO 18004KT 10SM BKN024 14/07 A3025 RMK AO2 T01430070
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 6, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.7 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.