- Date
- May 4, 2017, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Spanish Fork, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N514CLCurtis Lund Vortex
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170504006729A
- Case key
- 95112
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, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 2
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 he flared the gyroplane too high and landed hard and that the gyroplane subsequently tipped over on its right side. He added that he evacuated the gyroplane before a postimpact fire ensued and destroyed the gyroplane. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that he flared too high, landed hard, and the gyroplane tipped over on its right side. He added that he evacuated the gyroplane before a post-impact fire ensued and destroyed the gyroplane. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N514CL
- Reported as
- Curtis Lund Vortex (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CL001
- Built
- 2014
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 64 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 22, 2016
- Departed
- U77 · Spanish Fork, UT
- Destination
- U77 · Spanish Fork, UT
- Airport
- U77 · Spanish Fork-Springville-Woodh, runway 30, 6,500 × 100 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Single
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KPVU, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 9, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 575 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.