- Date
- October 5, 1991, 14:48 local (21:48 UTC)
- Place
- Boulder City, NV
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7143KBentley Mongoose A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911005044919A
- Case key
- 27468
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 selection of an inadequate takeoff area which was too short for the prevailing conditions.
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.
Analysis
The plt's med cert was expired & he did not hold a rotorcraft category rating. Drg an exam of the wreckage, strong rotational signatures were evident on both the prop & main rotor blades. No acft sys abnormalities were fnd drg the exam of the wreckage. Wheel tracks & impact gnd scars were fnd on the dry lake bed surface. Three tire tracks matching the dimensional geometry of the lndg gear were fnd extending for a distance of about 150 yds. An additional 15 yds of main gear only tracks were fnd, which terminated at a berm. Hvy gouge marks were noted on the top of the berm, which matched all 3 lndg gear. About 105 yds beyond the berm, a gnd impact crater was observed, followed by a disturbance in the dirt which culminated in the gyrocopter wreckage. The gyrocopter had not been issued an airworthiness certificate in any category.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7143K
- Reported as
- Bentley Mongoose A
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1
- Airframe hours
- 113
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bentley, Richard F
- Registered owner
- Bentley, Richard F
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Destination
- NONE
- Airport
- NONE · Dry Lake
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 113 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 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.