- Date
- June 29, 1984, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mt Pleasant, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N455FGGriffin FG-1A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840629028049A
- Case key
- 21130
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to witnesses, the gyrocopter plt took off & turned onto a left downwind to stay in the traffic pattern for rwy 17. One witness stated that the gyrocopter turned onto final apch at about 300 to 400 ft AGL. Two other witnesses, who reside aprx 1/4 mi north of the arpt, related that the gyrocopter flew low over their property at about 150 ft while turning onto final. Both reported that the eng was operating & sounded normal. One individual stated that the plt waved as he passed over his backyard. Reportedly, the gyrocopter flew low over power lines, climbed to a more normal altitude, then entered a steep descent & crashed. One witness said it stalled. Another said it fell like a rock. Impact occurred about 200 ft short of the rwy. No pre-impact failure or malfunction was found. Local gyrocopter operators stated the plt was teaching himself to fly despite recommendations to obtain instruction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N455FG
- Reported as
- Griffin FG-1A
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1
- Airframe hours
- 45
- Engine
- Volkswagen TYPE 3 1835CC, 60 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Earnest W. Grober
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · September 1, 1983 · 45 hours before
- Airport
- F03 · Mt. Pleasant Municipal, runway 17, 3,800 × 125 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 700 total · 45 in this make and model · 592 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GGG, 43 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.