- Date
- April 30, 2019, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Cobden, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N857UVPavel Vagner TANGO2
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 20, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190430003629A
- Case key
- 99345
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 the proper airspeed during the approach, 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 pilot was working toward his gyroplane rating and had received a solo endorsement. He reported that, during approach, he turned from base to final and that the airspeed then decreased. He added that the gyroplane "abruptly settled" and then landed hard on the dirt surface. The rotor blades struck the ground, and the gyroplane came to rest upright. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and the rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the gyroplane was working toward his gyroplane rating and had received a solo endorsement. He reported that during approach, he turned from base to final, and the airspeed decreased. The gyroplane "abruptly settled," and landed hard on the dirt surface. The rotor blades struck the ground and the gyroplane came to rest upright. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and the rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N857UV
- Reported as
- Pavel Vagner TANGO2
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 000017
- Built
- 2019
- Airframe hours
- 42.2
- Engine
- Yamaha 1049cc, 130 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · January 2, 2018
- Departed
- Cobden, IL
- Destination
- Cobden, IL
- 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
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 20, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 18 in this make and model · 500 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 11 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KCGI, 24 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 18, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.7 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.