- Date
- November 18, 2016, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Philadelphia, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N12680Pitcairn PA 18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Dynamic rollover
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161118023459A
- Case key
- 94494
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 failure to correct the gyroplane’s right roll during the landing, which resulted in the exceedance of its critical angle and a subsequent roll-over. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s focus on preventing a potential ground loop instead of a roll-over and his lack of experience in the gyroplane model.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped gyroplane, he landed on the right main landing gear. The gyroplane began rolling to the right, but the gyroplane's heading was aligned to the left of the runway heading and continued in a left direction of travel. He attempted to correct the gyroplane's right roll by moving the control stick to the left; however, the aileron movement did not subside the roll. He reported that in hindsight, opening the throttle and applying right rudder may have subsided the roll, "but my mental preparedness was biased to preventing a ground loop, not a dynamic rollover." The gyroplane continued to roll right and impacted the ground. The gyroplane came to rest on the runway and sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system, right wing, and the empennage. The pilot reported that his lack of experience in the gyroplane model contributed to the accident because the critical angle was exceeded in this gyroplane more quickly than in other gyroplanes that he was accustomed to flying. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped gyroplane, he landed on the right main landing gear. The gyroplane begin rolling to the right, but the gyroplane's heading was aligned to the left of the runway heading and continued in a left direction of travel. He attempted to correct the gyroplane's right roll by moving the control stick to the left, however, the aileron movement did not subside the roll. He reported that in hindsight, opening the throttle and right rudder application may have subsided the roll, "but my mental preparedness was biased to preventing a ground loop, not a dynamic rollover". However, the gyroplane continued to roll right and impacted the ground. The gyroplane came to rest on the runway and sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system, right wing, and the empennage. The pilot reported that his lack of experience in the gyroplane model contributed to the accident, because the critical angle was exceeded in this gyroplane more quickly than other gyroplanes that he was accustomed to flying. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N12680
- Reported as
- Pitcairn PA 18 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Gyroplane
- Serial number
- G-67
- Built
- 1932
- Airframe hours
- 600
- Engine
- Kinner R55, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 7, 2016
- Departed
- PNE · Philadelphia, PA
- Destination
- PNE · Philadelphia, PA
- Airport
- PNE · Northeast Philadelphia, runway 33, 5,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 15, 2016
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 17,000 total · 4 in this make and model · 7,670 as pilot in command · 175 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KPNE
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 5, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.