- Date
- February 23, 2007, 12:11 local (18:11 UTC)
- Place
- Neenah, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5077FRotary Air Force Marketing RAF 2000
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-Milwaukee FSDO
- Case key
- 65453
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 directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion. Contributing factors were a bent rudder trim tab, the narrow runway, and the uneven terrain at the edge of the runway pavement.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The gyroplane was substantially damaged when it rolled onto its right side during landing. The pilot reported that he had recently purchased the gyroplane, and while transporting it to his home airport, a trailer tie-down strap had broken and bent the rudder trim tab. The tab was bent back to approximately its original position. The pilot reported that during the initial flight, right rudder was needed to keep the gyroplane straight. When he returned to the airport the gyroplane touched down on the main wheels. It did not come to a full stop before the nose wheel touched down and the gyroplane "jerked hard right." He noted he "forgot to take out the right rudder." His attempts to keep the gyroplane on the runway were unsuccessful, and the right main wheel dropped off the runway pavement. The gyroplane subsequently rolled onto its right side, damaging the main rotor mast and control linkage.
Factual narrative
The gyroplane was substantially damaged when it rolled onto its right side during landing. The pilot was not injured. The pilot reported that he had recently purchased the aircraft and while transporting it to his home airport a trailer tie down strap had broken and bent the rudder trim tab. The tab was bent back to approximately its original position. The pilot reported that during the initial flight, right rudder was needed to keep the aircraft straight. When he returned to the airport, he set up for landing on runway 18 (2,450 feet by 20 feet, asphalt). He stated that the aircraft touched down on the main wheels. It did not come to a full stop before the nose wheel touched down and the aircraft "jerked hard right." He noted he "forgot to take out the right rudder." His attempts to keep the aircraft on the runway were unsuccessful and the right main wheel "dropped off" the runway pavement. The aircraft subsequently rolled onto its right side damaging the main rotor mast and control linkage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5077F
- Reported as
- Rotary Air Force Marketing RAF 2000
- Category
- Gyroplane
- Serial number
- H2-05-16-649
- Airframe hours
- 114
- Engine
- Subaru EJ2-5, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2006
- Departed
- 79C · Neenah, WI
- Airport
- 79C · Brennand, runway 18, 2,450 × 20 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 280 total · 35 in this make and model · 246 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.42 inHg
- Observed at
- ATW, 6 nm away