- Date
- September 18, 1996, 07:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Magnolia, AR
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7136CTubb AIR Commander 532
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 23, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960918028719A
- Case key
- 19982
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 loss of engine power due to the loss of coolant, as a result of a leak in the radiator. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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 the student pilot, the gyroplane's engine began to lose coolant. While attempting to return to his departure point, the engine lost power. The pilot made a forced landing to a heavily wooded area, and the gyroplane came to rest on its right side. FAA records revealed that the student pilot, who built the gyroplane, was issued a registration certificate for the aircraft on 5/24/90. His last medical certificate was issued on 7/12/90, at which time he was issued a student pilot certificate.
Factual narrative
On September 18, 1996, at 0730 central daylight time, a Tubb Air Commander 532 gyroplane, N7136C, registered to and operated by a private owner, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Magnolia, Arkansas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the local flight. The student pilot sustained serious injuries. The flight originated from a field site near Magnolia, Arkansas, about 10 minutes before the accident.
According to the student pilot, the engine began to lose coolant from the radiator. While attempting to return to his point of origination, the engine lost power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a heavily wooded area.
The pilot's parents alerted local authorities when he did not return from the flight. The pilot was located the following morning at 0354, approximately 20.5 hours after the accident.
Examination of the aircraft by the FAA inspector revealed that it was on its right side with one rotor blade damaged, both propeller blades were partially separated, and the fuselage frame was bent.
FAA records revealed that the student pilot, who built the Tubb Air Commander 532 gyroplane, was issued a registration certificate for the aircraft on May 24, 1990. His last medical certificate was issued on July 12, 1990, at which time he was issued a student pilot certificate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7136C
- Reported as
- Tubb AIR Commander 532 (AIR COMMAN)
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 9279712
- Airframe hours
- 169
- Engine
- Rotax ROTAX 532, 64 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David N. Tubb
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 24, 1996 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 191 total · 169 in this make and model · 169 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.