# NTSB CHI06LA258: Garner Garner Falcon, N6194Y, Newton, IA, September 9, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 9, 2006, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC) - Place: Newton, IA - Coordinates: 41.679721, -93.025001 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.6797&lon=-93.0250&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Unknown](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/990) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report May 29, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 64517 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI06LA258 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64517/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI06LA258 ## Probable cause An inflight collision with terrain during an unknown phase of flight. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, unknown - reason for occurrence undetermined - lack of experience, pilot in command (contributing factor) ## Analysis The experimental amateur-built gyrocopter was destroyed on impact with terrain near a private airstrip. A ground fire occurred. A witness stated, "I was out checking our freshly cut hay. I heard [the pilot's] gyrocopter's engine at a normal idle speed. I often heard the gyrocopter when [the pilot] was working on it. Suddenly the rpm's revved up real high and shut off approximately 2-3 seconds later, I heard an explosion. Unfortunately, at that time, I just assumed that the engine backfired." The pilot was not a certificated pilot. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 9, 2006, about 1600 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Garner, Garner Falcon gyrocopter, N6194Y, was destroyed on impact with terrain near Newton, Iowa. A ground fire occurred. The personal flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot was fatally injured. The local flight originated from a private airstrip near Newton, Iowa, at time unknown. A witness heard the an aircraft between 1530 and 1600. He stated: I was out checking our freshly cut hay. I heard [the pilot's] gyrocopter's engine at a normal idle speed. I often heard the gyrocopter when [the pilot] was working on it. Suddenly the rpm's revved up real high and shut off approximately 2-3 seconds later, I heard an explosion. Unfortunately, at that time, I just assumed that the engine backfired. Around 4:15 pm, my brother, my son and I were ready to deliver some hay. We noticed that there was smoke to the southwest of our property, which would be the [pilot's parent's] land. We drove over to the gravel road to the west of the [that] property but could not figure out where the smoke was coming from. My son thought [the pilot] might have been burning tile, which he often did, so we went on with our hay delivery. The wreckage was subsequently found by family members and was reported to the Jasper County Sheriff's Office. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot was not a certificated pilot. The pilot's flight instructor indicated to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that the pilot had accumulated about eight hours of flight instruction. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION N6194Y was an experimental amateur-built Garner, Garner Falcon gyrocopter, serial number 001. A Subaru EJ22 engine powered the aircraft. The aircraft's maximum gross weight was 800 pounds. A witness reported to a FAA inspector that the pilot modified the aircraft. The pilot was not the original builder of the aircraft. Current aircraft logbooks were not recovered. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION At 1555, the recorded weather at the Newton Municipal Airport, near Newton, Iowa, was: Wind 070 degrees at 7 knots; visibility 7 statute miles; sky condition broken 2,600 feet overcast 3,300 feet; temperature 22 degrees C; dew point 18 degrees C; altimeter 30.04 inches of mercury. AIRPORT INFORMATION A grass airstrip was located behind the pilot's parent's farm. The runway was orientated in a north and south direction and was about a quarter mile in length. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The gyrocopter came to rest on its left side in a waterway about 100 feet south of the south end of the grass airstrip. One main rotor blade separated from the mast and was bent in a U-shape. The detached rotor blade came to rest about 20 yards south of the main wreckage. The other main rotor blade remained attached to the mast and was imbedded in the ground. The propeller blades were sheared off at the propeller hub. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION The Jasper County Medical Examiner's Office arranged the pilot's autopsy, which was performed on the pilot by the Office of the Iowa State Medical Examiner. The FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute prepared a Final Forensic Toxicology Accident Report. The report was negative for the tests performed. FIRE A ground fire occurred and a witness heard an explosion. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The FAA was a party to the investigation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6194Y](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6194Y-2008-02-26), registration cancelled 2008-02-26, S/N 001, built 1999 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Garner Garner Falcon - Registry model: [Garner Michael M GARNER FALCON](https://openairdocs.org/model/garner-michael-m-garner-falcon) (registry code 056050E) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Subaru ALL MDLS A/B](https://openairdocs.org/engine/subaru-all-mdls-a-b) (registry code 59050, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Gyroplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 001 - Engines: Subaru EJ22 reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Jim W. Schnell - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: Newton, IA ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; injuries: fatal; seat: single; toxicology performed; flight hours: 8 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 70° at 7 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,600 ft broken - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: TNU, 10 nm away ## 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 20060909020179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060909020179A), Sep 9, 2006: Amtr GARNERFALCON, Newton, IA, Destroyed, 1 fatal. (-23) On September 9, 2006, N6194Y an experimental amateur-built gyroplane, crashed shortly after take-off. There were no eyewitness accounts of the accident,… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.