- Date
- January 12, 2008, 15:27 local (20:27 UTC)
- Place
- Newark, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N90413Newbold Newbold 2000
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Columbus, OH FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080112011309A
- Case key
- 67388
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 CFI's failure to maintain control of the gyrocopter which resulted in settling with power and the subsequent hard landing. Factors associated with the accident were the CFI's decision to excessively flare the gyrocopter at a low altitude.
Findings · 4
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 certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that he was demonstrating a ballooned landing when the accident occurred. He stated he intentionally flared the gyroplane "too high" at an altitude of 10 feet above the runway. The CFI stated the student quickly corrected so he added a "little more flare" overlooking that the gyrocopter had already begun to settle. He reported the gyrocopter then descended vertically making hard contact with the runway. The left landing gear axle separated and the gyrocopter rolled onto its left side. The CFI reported he will no longer teach the recovery of an improper flare at low altitude and will put greater emphasis on the understanding and recovery of being "behind the power curve." The gyrocopter sustained substantial damage to the rotor mast assembly.
Factual narrative
On January 12, 2008, at 1527 eastern standard time, a Newbold 2000, N90413, an amateur-built gyrocopter, experienced a hard landing at the Newark-Heath Airport, Newark, Ohio. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and the student (private) pilot were not injured. The gyrocopter was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight originated at 1500.
The CFI reported he was demonstrating a ballooned landing when the accident occurred. He stated he intentionally flared the gyroplane "too high" at an altitude of 10 feet above the runway. The CFI stated the student quickly corrected so he added a "little more flare" overlooking that the gyrocopter had already begun to settle. He reported the gyrocopter then descended vertically making hard contact with the runway. The left landing gear axle separated and the gyrocopter rolled onto its left side.
The CFI reported he will no longer teach the recovery of an improper flare at low altitude and will put greater emphasis on the understanding and recovery of being "behind the power curve."
Examination of the gyrocopter revealed the left landing gear axle was separated, the main rotor blades were damaged, the rotor mast assembly was bent, and the engine propeller blades were sheared.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90413
- Reported as
- Newbold Newbold 2000
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 012007
- Engine
- Subaru EJ-22, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Edward F. Newbold
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- VTA · Newark, OH
- Destination
- VTA · Newark, OH
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 1,311 total · 206 in this make and model · 1,167 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Flight hours
- 275 total · 4 in this make and model · 225 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- VTA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.