ERA20TA005

The student pilot obtained automotive fuel from a gas station close to his departure airport to fuel the gyroplane before departing on a solo cross-country flight. About 45 minutes into the flight, there was a “loud bang” from the engine, and it subsequently lost total power and could not be restarted. The pilot performed a forced landing in a swamp, during which the rotor blades impacted terrain. Post-accident examination revealed fuel contamination consisting of water and sediment. New fuel was added, and a subsequent test run of the engine revealed no anomalies. It is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of the fuel contamination, and that the accident would have likely been prevented if the student pilot had performed an adequate preflight inspection to detect water in the fuel.

On October 3, 2019, about 1130 eastern daylight time, a Silverlight Aviation AR-1 Gyroplane, N463JW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fort Meade, Florida. The student pilot was uninjured. The gyroplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The student pilot reported that, about 45 minutes after departing on a solo cross-country flight, he “heard a loud bang” from the engine. He increased power but there was no response from the engine. He attempted to troubleshoot the problem, but was unsuccessful in his attempts to restore power. As the gyroplane descended through 900 ft mean sea level, he elected to land in a tall grass field that appeared to be free of obstructions. The approach was normal, but during the landing flare, the gyroplane impacted tall grass reeds then settled into mud as it landed and tilted to the side, which allowed the rotor blades to impact the ground. The pilot stated that he obtained his fuel from a gas station near the departure airport. He stated that he used that specific gas station frequently and had not had any problems with fuel in the past. Examination of the gyroplane revealed the mast beam, rotor blades, and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The gyroplane was tilted toward the right and the right landing gear was submerged in the mud. The engine and fuel tank remained above the mud and was free of mud and debris; it was intact. Further examination revealed no anomalies; however, during the attempted engine run, the engine failed to start and operate after several attempts. The fuel system was examined and about 14 gallons of fuel was drained, revealing about 1/2 gallon of water/sediment contamination. The fuel was replaced with new fuel and the subsequent engine start and operation was normal. The engine produced power up to 5,100 rpm and rapid manipulation of the throttle from open to closed revealed no irregularities.