- Date
- July 30, 2009, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Norridgewock, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N179TCChristopher John P CHR-1
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090730048009A
- Case key
- 74436
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
A loss of engine power due to a broken crankshaft for undetermined reasons.
Findings · 2
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 pilot of the gyroplane stated that after takeoff he climbed to pattern altitude and, while on downwind and abeam the runway numbers, he heard a “pop and then experienced a terrible, violent vibration, seemingly catastrophic in nature. There was no power, but the engine was still running.” As he was conducting a forced landing in rough terrain, the wheel and then the main rotor dug into the ground, causing the ship to roll onto its side. The main rotor, mast, landing gear, and horizontal stabilizer sustained damage. Further examination by the pilot revealed that the engine crankshaft was broken near the No. 1 cylinder. The pistons of the non-certified engine had been replaced about 10 operational hours earlier.
Factual narrative
On July 30, 2009, about 1800 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built CHR-1, N179TC, was substantially damaged during a forced landing at Central Maine Airport (OWK), Norridgewock, Maine. The gyroplane was registered to a private individual. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight originated at OWK at 1745. The pilot stated that after takeoff, he climbed the gyroplane to pattern altitude, and while on downwind and abeam the runway numbers, he heard a “pop and then experienced a terrible, violent vibration, seemingly catastrophic in nature. There was no power, but the engine was still running.” He said that he was over a landfill, which was the closest site for an emergency landing. During the flare/touchdown, the right wheel caught on rough terrain damaging the mast, main rotor, right landing gear and the horizontal stabilizer. The gyroplane was powered by a 66-horsepower Rotax 583 engine, with about 100 hours of operation since new. An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the gyrocopter’s last condition inspection was accomplished on May 23, 2009. The owner/pilot stated to the inspector that the engine was about 10 hours out of overhaul, which included new pistons. On scene examination of the airframe found fuel in the fuel tank, and fuel filters, with no contamination noted. Examination of the intake manifold found the number 2 intake with black oily residue around the area and no residue around the number 1 intake. Further examination by the owner/pilot revealed that the engine crankshaft was broken near the number 1 cylinder.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N179TC
- Reported as
- Christopher John P CHR-1
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 01
- Airframe hours
- 104
- Engine
- Rotax 583, 66 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Christopher John P
- Registered owner
- Christopher John P
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 23, 2009 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- OWK · Norridgewock, ME
- Destination
- OWK · Norridgewock, ME
- Airport
- OWK · Central Maine Airport, runway 21, 3,999 × 90 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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 407 total · 106 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.77 inHg
- Observed at
- WVL, 13 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 23, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.