- Date
- February 23, 1989, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Orange, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4381GMcculloch J-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890223002459A
- Case key
- 22838
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 failed to maintain rotor RPM due to a lack of familiarity with aircraft performance data and procedures.
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
The private pilot provided no evidence of a gyroplane endorsement and was unable to express a working knowledge of the aircraft systems or operational requirements. The aircraft was on a downwind departure when it made an uncontrolled descent to the ground. The pilot stated that the propeller 'just stopped pushing.' There was no evidence of mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4381G
- Reported as
- Mcculloch J-2
- Category
- Gyroplane
- Serial number
- 091
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles Daniel Dearing, Jr.
- Departed
- ORG · Orange, TX
- Destination
- ORG
- Airport
- ORG · Orange County, runway 3, 3,800 × 75 ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BPT, 13 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.