- Date
- September 1, 1987, 19:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Waterford, CT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N180RHHall B-80M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870901049029A
- Case key
- 30463
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 gyrocopter was observed to touch down and become airborne again. After becoming airborne it was observed to pitch down, with the main rotor blades striking the ground in front of the aircraft. The pilot said his right contact lens wasbothering him and he could not see through it very well. He stated that although he thought he was too high and considered a go-around, he elected to continue with the landing because of the contact lens problem. He said when he touched down he swerved to avoid bushes and a rotor blade struck the ground severing the mast.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N180RH
- Reported as
- Hall B-80M
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- RCH-1
- Airframe hours
- 20
- Engine
- Mcculloch 4318GX, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hall, Robert C
- Departed
- 7B8
- Destination
- 7B8
- Airport
- 7B8 · Waterford, runway 15, 1,950 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Expired
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 20 total · 20 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.