- Date
- November 21, 2018, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kanab, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N512EAScott Taylor Eclipse 10
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 98697
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 directional control during takeoff from an unimproved dirt road.
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 reported that, during takeoff from an unimproved soft, dirt road, the tires started to "dig in," and the gyroplane veered left, he overcorrected, and the gyroplane rolled onto its left side. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and mast. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during takeoff, from an unimproved soft dirt road, the tires started to "dig in" and the gyroplane veered left, he over corrected, and the gyroplane rolled onto its left side. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the tailboom, and mast. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N512EA
- Reported as
- Scott Taylor Eclipse 10
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 05164841014
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 284
- Engine
- Rotax 914UL, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · November 20, 2018
- Departed
- 1L8 · Hurricane, UT
- Destination
- Kanab, UT
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KKNB, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 25, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 MB in all.