- Date
- October 17, 1987, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pocatello, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N49694Napper Vancraft
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871017059949A
- Case key
- 40753
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 experimental gyrocopter was on a test flight when the right rudder pedal pivot bolt broke. The aircraft began a spiral in a counter-clockwise direction with the rudder separating from the aircraft at the hinge points. The aircraft continued to spiral to the ground to impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N49694
- Reported as
- Napper Vancraft
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 519489457
- Airframe hours
- 9
- Engine
- Volkswagen 2200CC, 60 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Paul R. Napper
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 1, 1986
- Airport
- PIH · Pocatello Municipal
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 280 total · 17 in this make and model · 236 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PIH, 2 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.