- Date
- February 17, 2026, 12:05 local (17:05 UTC)
- Place
- Kissimmee, FL · Kissimmee Gateway Airport
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N220SMTabor W Coates AR-1
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 2026
- 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
- 20260217000589A
- Case key
- 202463
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 failure to obtain the proper rotor rpm during the takeoff roll which resulted in a loss of control.
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 began the takeoff roll and attempted to build rotor rpm. He reported that at rotation, his rotor speed was marginal, and the rotor blades began to flap before contacting the gyroplane’s tail. The pilot then lost control of the gyroplane, and it impacted the runway and rolled onto its side. The fuselage and tail of the gyroplane were substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N220SM
- Reported as
- Tabor W Coates AR-1
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0029
- Built
- 2019
- Airframe hours
- 249
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · April 28, 2025 · 6 hours before
- Airport
- ISM · Kissimmee Gateway, runway 15, 6,001 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, 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
- 58
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Private, Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, Unknown
- Last flight review
- January 14, 2026
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 409.32 total · 36.6 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- ISM, 1 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KISM 171656Z 11011KT 10SM CLR 24/14 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP229 T02390139 $
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.