- Date
- September 29, 1990, 14:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Mesquite, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N532BMMoffitt, William A. Windryder
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900929043339A
- Case key
- 22935
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 power loss due to failure of the ignition system due to improper installation by the operator. A factor was the wire struck during the emerency descent.
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
At about 1,000 feet AGL the gyroplane owner/builder/pilot experienced a total power loss. During the emergency descent to the forced landing the aircraft cleared power lines and veered left to avoid trees. The rotor blade struck a telephone cable resulting in an uncontrolled descend to ground impact. Investigation revealed that the spade lug connected to the ignition damping box disconnected due to improper crimping, causing loss of ignition.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N532BM
- Reported as
- Moffitt, William A. Windryder
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 896008
- Airframe hours
- 45
- Engine
- Rotax 532LC, 64 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Moffitt, William A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 21, 1990 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- LNC · Lancaster, TX
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 143 total · 45 in this make and model · 84 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAL, 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.