- Date
- November 26, 2022, 11:26, time zone not recorded
- Place
- Suches, GA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N728RJDaniel Anthony Proctor M24 Orion Plus
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20221126022559A
- Case key
- 106372
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 pilot's decision to take off from the runway midpoint with a tailwind, which resulted in impact with terrain.
Findings · 3
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 gyroplane pilot reported that he initiated his takeoff midway down the runway with a tailwind. After takeoff, the angle of climb was shallower than expected and the pilot determined that he may not clear the trees beyond the runway’s departure end. He attempted to turn back toward the runway; however, the gyroplane had insufficient altitude and impacted the brush. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tail section and the passenger was seriously injured. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation and that he gave up safety margin unnecessarily. He stated that he should have performed a full-length departure into the wind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N728RJ
- Reported as
- Daniel Anthony Proctor M24 Orion Plus
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 24223826
- Built
- 2022
- Airframe hours
- 127.9
- Engine
- Rotax 915i, 141 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 7, 2022 · 125 hours before
- Departed
- CNI · Canton, GA
- Destination
- DZJ · Blairsville, GA
- Airport
- GA87 · High Valley Airpark, runway 2, 2,000 × 60 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- October 7, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 3,416 total · 137 in this make and model · 3,310 as pilot in command · 137 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- DZJ, 9 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KDZJ 261615Z AUTO 10008KT 10SM CLR 17/05 A3017 RMK AO2 T01690053=
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 14.7 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.