- Date
- December 19, 2022
- Place
- Benson, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N518DTAuto-Gyro Cavalon
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Scottsdale FSDO
- FAA report
- 20221219020519A
- Case key
- 106555
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
A loss of directional control on takeoff, which resulted in the collapse of the nose wheel strut and a runway excursion.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the gyroplane reported that, typically after reaching a speed of about 45-50 mph during the takeoff roll and just before takeoff, the nosewheel becomes light. He stated that for the accident flight the nose became light as expected, but then suddenly dropped, and the nose gear contacted the runway hard. The gyroplane veered left, and he depressed full right rudder. The main rotor impacted the runway, and the gyroplane departed the runway and came to rest on its side, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and rotor system. A postaccident examination of the flight controls revealed no anomalies. Further examination revealed the nose gear appeared to be bent aft and right and exhibited damage consistent with a hard impact. The runway surface exhibited witness marks consistent with a hard impact of the nose gear.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N518DT
- Reported as
- Auto-Gyro Cavalon
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- V00251
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 425
- Engine
- Rotax 914 UL, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- E95 · Benson, AZ
- Destination
- E95 · Benson, AZ
- Airport
- E95 · Benson Municpal, runway 10, 4,002 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 79
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 24, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,234 total · 425 in this make and model · 1,133 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- KFHU, 27 nm away
- METAR
- SPECI KFHU 191651Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 08/M03 A3026 RMK AO2 SLP236=
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 2, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.