SEA03LA191

The student pilot departed on a solo flight in the gyrocraft and made several practice landings before departing the pattern. On his return leg he encountered some gusty wind conditions and decided to terminate the flight. During the landing flare the gyrocraft veered to the right. The student applied full throttle and, believing the nose was going to impact the ground, pitched up into a nose high attitude. The gyrocraft's main rotor then impacted the ground and the gyrocraft came to rest on a short stub taxiway.

On September 19, 2003, approximately 0845 Pacific daylight time, a Levick RAF 2000 GTX-SE gyrocraft, N24DN, registered to and being flown by a student pilot, incurred substantial damage during a loss of control while landing on runway 20 at the Boundary County airport, Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The student pilot was uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was instructional, was operated under 14 CFR 91, and originated from the Boundary County airport approximately 0745.

The student pilot reported that he decided to make a solo flight and after completing several takeoffs and landings he flew north about 8-10 miles and back. On his return leg he reported encountering some gusty winds and decided to terminate the flight. He reported that during the landing flare (runway 20) the gyro "...turned quickly to the right, probably from a gust of wind...." Rather than land off the runway the student applied full throttle and, thinking the nose was going to impact the ground, he pulled back on the stick resulting in a nose high attitude. Immediately thereafter the main rotor struck the ground and the gyrocraft came to rest on a short stub taxiway. The student pilot reported no mechanical malfunction with the gyrocraft.