- Date
- July 2, 1983, 09:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Adelanto, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N37849Miller RA1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830702027799A
- Case key
- 23546
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
Witnesses observed that shortly after takeoff the gyrocopter porpoised. The main rotor blades separated in flight and the acft crashed.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Loss of control - in flight
Rotor system,main rotor blade - separationCause
Design stress limits of aircraft - exceededCause
Overconfidence in personal abilityFactor
Rotor system,main rotor blade - undeterminedCause
Lack of total experience in type of aircraftFactor
In flight collision with terrain/water
Terrain condition - ground
Aircraft
- Registration
- N37849
- Reported as
- Miller RA1
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- M001
- Engine
- Continental 85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Roger A. Miller
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 64 total · 55 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.