ERA18TA144

The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings in the experimental, amateur-built gyroplane. He landed on the runway and began a left turn to the taxiway. A witness stated that the rotor blades had a "high speed" of rotation after the gyroplane landed and that a main rotor blade struck the runway. Subsequently, the gyroplane spun and rolled onto its right side, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, main rotor, and tail section. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation. He recommended that the accident might have been prevented by "slow[ing] down while making turns."

On May 7, 2018, about 1145 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Ela 07 Scorpion gyroplane, N534EA, was substantially damaged during the landing rollout at Sebring Regional Airport (SEF), Sebring, Florida. The student pilot sustained serious injuries. The gyroplane was operated by the student pilot as a personal flight conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident for the local flight.According to the pilot, he was flying in the pattern practicing takeoffs and landings. After landing on runway 1, during the landing roll, he began a left turn to exit the runway when the gyroplane "tipped" and rolled onto the right side. According to a witness, after the gyroplane landed on runway 1, the rotor blades still had a "high speed" of rotation. When the aircraft started turning to a taxiway on the left, a main rotor blade struck the runway, the gyroplane spun 180° to the right, and impacted the ground, coming to rest on its right side. Examination of the gyroplane revealed that one of the main rotor blades impacted the front of the fuselage and a section of the other main rotor blade was impact separated and located about 350 ft from the wreckage. The tail section remained attached to the fuselage. The flight controls were intact, and no binding was noted when they were operated. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot did state in the Recommendation Section of the submitted NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident report that the accident might have been prevented by "slow[ing] down while making turns."