- Date
- February 17, 1990, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hearne, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- UNREGAir Command 447
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 22970
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 loss of control for undetermined reasons. A factor was the pilot's lack of total experience in the accident make and model.
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 pilot lost control of the aircraft shortly after taking off. It was the pilot's first flight in the aircraft after he had rebuilt it, however, it had been test flown by another individual. The pilot had accumulated a total of 6.5 hours in gyroplanes and received an endorsement to his private license. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any reason for the loss of control. Pilot witnesses, who were familiar with gyroplane operations, stated that the pilot lost control due to 'improper pilot technique'.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Air Command 447
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1119
- Engine
- Rotax 503, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 103
- Operator
- Guerra, Oscar J., Jr.
- Departed
- T72
- Destination
- T72
- Airport
- T72 · Hearne Muni
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 464 total · 7 in this make and model · 384 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- CLL, 27 nm away