- Date
- July 16, 2025, 13:10 local (17:10 UTC)
- Place
- Greencastle, IN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N45CLFarrington Twinstar
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250716009689A
- Case key
- 200563
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 pitch control during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inexperience in the accident gyroplane.
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 pilot was performing a post inspection test flight of the gyroplane. Prior to the flight, the pilot noticed the control stick pressures were greater than he had experienced with other gyroplanes he had previously flown. The gyroplane’s owner and a mechanic explained the gyroplane’s trim system to the pilot who then adjusted the trim to a setting he assumed would be sufficient to maintain control when the gyroplane was airborne. During takeoff, the gyroplane pitched up and when the pilot attempted to arrest the motion, the backstick forces on the control stick were greater than expected. The pilot lost control of the gyroplane as it continued to pitch upwards, so he reduced the engine power. The gyroplane had pitched to about 60° nose high, rolled left, and impacted the ground resulting in substantial damage. The pilot had flown several models of gyroplanes but had no flight experience in the accident gyroplane. After the accident, the pilot further learned that the gyroplane’s trim had previously been modified with a heavier trim spring which made this gyroplane respond differently than other gyroplanes.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N45CL
- Reported as
- Farrington Twinstar
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 004
- Built
- 1996
- Airframe hours
- 551
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Registered owner
- George W. Vandeventer Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 16, 2025
- Airport
- KGPC · Putnam County, runway 18, 5,002 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 62
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Private, Sport Pilot
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 26, 2025
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 561 total · 0.3 in this make and model · 501 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 12.8 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KGPC
- METAR
- METAR KGPC 161715Z AUTO 20008KT 10SM BKN012 BKN017 OVC027 26/25 A2995 RMK AO2 T02610248=
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.