- Date
- May 27, 2017, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Worth, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N721ERobert Hamblin Autogyro Gmbh Cavalo
- Defining event
- Enroute: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170527010989A
- Case key
- 95253
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 maintain clearance from terrain.
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 pilot of the gyrocopter reported that, after flying over his passenger's house to take pictures, he headed back to the airport. He added that, while in level flight, he noticed that "the trees on the ground under [him were] rapidly getting closer." He initially presumed something was wrong with the engine, so he reduced throttle and then successfully applied full throttle in an attempt to troubleshoot the situation. He made a left 180° turn, and the gyrocopter struck trees and impacted terrain. The gyrocopter sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the gyrocopter that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he had presumed the terrain he was flying over was flat but later realized he had flown into rising terrain.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the gyrocopter reported that after flying over his passenger's house to take pictures, he headed back to the airport. He added that while in level flight, he noticed that "the trees on the ground under [him were] rapidly getting closer". He initially presumed something was wrong with the engine, so he reduced throttle and then successfully applied full throttle in an attempt to troubleshoot the situation. He made a left 180° turn and the gyrocopter struck trees and impacted terrain. The gyrocopter sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the gyrocopter that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he had presumed the terrain he was flying over was flat, but had later realized he had flown into rising terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N721E
- Reported as
- Robert Hamblin Autogyro Gmbh Cavalo (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- V00255
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 94
- Engine
- Rotax 914, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · April 19, 2016
- Departed
- 87TX · Blum, TX
- Destination
- 50F · Fort Worth, TX
- 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
- 70
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Sport Pilot, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 12, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 978 total · 78 in this make and model · 978 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- KNFW, 6 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.