Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
The Colony, Texas 75056
Saturday, November 28, 1998 15:00 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The gyroplane's main rotor blades contacted the rudder during gusty wind conditions. According to two gyroplane pilots, they were, along with the accident gyroplane pilot, each flying their own gyroplane from Caddo Mills, Texas to Fort Worth, Texas. The last time the pilots observed the accident gyroplane, it was traveling at 80 miles per hour and 800 feet above ground level, straight-and-level, towards the destination airport. The pilots reported that the wind was from the south at '20 knots and was gusty.' One pilot stated that he encountered a gust, which he estimated at '50 knots.' A weather observation facility reported that the wind was from 200 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 19 knots. A witness saw the gyroplane flying south and observed 'things coming off.' The wreckage distribution path was 3,397 feet in length, beginning with a fragment of main rotor blade and terminating with the engine, cabin, and main fuselage frame. Fragments of rudder were found scattered between 1,162 feet and 2,852 feet from the beginning of the wreckage path. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation at the time of the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the gyroplane during cruise flight. A factor was the gusty wind condition.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/28/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | THE COLONY |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 75056 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 315 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TKI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 586 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 19 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1709 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1781 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 28 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1128 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 11:53AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N14GR |
| NTSB Number | FTW99FA038 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BLANTON |
| Aircraft Model | RAF 2000 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | RAF 2000 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | H2-96-7-265 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1540 |
| Aircraft Category | Gyrocraft |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 24 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 22 |
| Airframe Hours | 77 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GEORGE W. BLANTON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RR 2 BOX 158 |
| Aircraft Owner City | BOWIE |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76230 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 7F3 |
| Departure City | CADDO MILLS |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | FORT WORTH |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |