CEN26LA254

On July 13, 2026, about 800 mountain daylight time, a Tag Aviation Pty Ltd Titanium Explorer gyrocopter, N665TE was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Larkspur, Colorado. The pilot passed away in the hospital five days after the accident. The gyrocopter was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. According to a friend of the pilot, the pilot flew the gyrocopter from Meadowlake Airport (FLY) Peyton, Colorado, to Central Colorado Airport (AEJ) Buena Vista, Colorado, 4 days before the accident. The pilot and his friend flew their respective gyrocopters around the Buena Vista area several times during that four-day period. The friend said that the gyrocopter was performing normally. On the morning of July 13th, the pilot filled the fuel tank with 91 Octane motor gas before he departed back toward FLY. The friend said that the pilot planned to circumnavigate Davis Airfield (AFF) Colorado Springs, Colorado, to the north and then fly back toward the east toward Peyton, Colorado. The pilot departed AEJ about 700. While enroute, he called another friend on his cellular phone to let him know that he was flying over Lake George in Park County, Colorado. He told the friend that everything was fine and he would call him again when he landed safely at FLY. About 800, a witness walking her dog outside her home said that she heard the gyrocopter fly overhead. She said the gyrocopter was low and the engine was “struggling.” Then, the engine stopped and the gyrocopter fell through the trees. She reported that the pilot was conscious but not speaking and that fuel was dripping out of the fuel tank. The gyrocopter was relatively intact and came to rest on its right side under a group of trees. The rotor blades were bent and cracked. One of the rotor blade tips was sheared off. The three-bladed propeller was still attached at the hub, and the blades were flat and smooth. The needle on the Aviasport gyro rotor tachometer was fully in the red zone at 500 rpm. According to the engine and airframe logbooks, N665TE would have been due for an annual condition inspection in September 2026. At the time of the accident, the airframe had accumulated about 50 hours, and the engine had accumulated about 400 hours. The gyrocopter was retained for further examination.