- Date
- March 10, 2017, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Maria, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N425AGCSP Leasing Cavalon
- Defining event
- Landing: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 15, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170310002439A
- Case key
- 94860
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 student pilot’s improper landing flare and subsequent failure to maintain crosswind correction during landing in crosswind conditions.
Findings · 3
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
The student pilot reported that, during a stop-and-go landing in crosswind conditions, the gyroplane bounced about 4 ft. He added that the wind lifted the gyroplane and that he did not have "the speed or rudder control to counteract" the drift. The gyroplane impacted the ground on its right side. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 39 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 300° at 8 knots. The gyroplane landed on runway 30.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that during a stop-and-go landing in crosswind conditions, the gyroplane bounced about 4 ft. He added that the wind lifted the gyroplane and he did not have "the speed or rudder control to counteract" the drift. The gyroplane impacted the ground on its right side. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that about 39 minutes before the accident the wind was 300° at 8 knots. The gyroplane landed on runway 30.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N425AG
- Reported as
- CSP Leasing Cavalon (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- V00208
- Built
- 2015
- Airframe hours
- 129
- Engine
- Rotax 914, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 8, 2016
- Departed
- SMX · Santa Maria, CA
- Destination
- SMX · Santa Maria, CA
- Airport
- SMX · Santa Maria Pub/Capt G Allan H, runway 30, 8,004 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 85 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KSMX
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 5, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 434 KB 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.