- Date
- June 17, 1989, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Oxford, OH
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4354GMcculloch J-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890617015899A
- Case key
- 14257
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 failure of the pilot operator to replace the main rotor thrust bearing. The expired service life of the main rotor thrust bearing is a factor in the accident.
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 autogyro broke up in flight while maneuvering during a personal flight. Witnesses to the accident reported seeing the rotor blades slow and fold up as the autogyro flew slowly over a lake. One rotor blade was seen to separate from the rotorhead and fall some distance from the rest of the aircraft. The autogyro then crashed into the lake. Inspection of the wreckage showed that the main rotor mast thrust bearing was galled and had seized.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4354G
- Reported as
- Mcculloch J-2
- Category
- Gyroplane
- Serial number
- 064
- Airframe hours
- 312
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert Wahn
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 6, 1988 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- 35M · Shelbyville, IN
- Destination
- MWO · Middletown, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 229 total · 30 in this make and model · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAY, 30 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.