Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Eureka Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Eureka, California 95501
Saturday, September 26, 1992 11:45 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
FAA RECORDS REVEALED THAT NEITHER THE PILOT NOR THE PASSENGER HAD EVER HELD AN AIRMAN OR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. THE EXPERIMENTAL GYROCOPTER WAS UNLICENSED AND UNREGISTERED. THE PILOT BOUGHT THE AIRCRAFT 20 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND WAS GIVEN TWO HOURS OF INSTRUCTION BY THE DEALER. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT HE WAS ESTIMATED TO HAVE FLOWN A TOTAL OF ABOUT 5 HOURS. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER FLEW EARLIER IN THE MORNING TO PRACTICE TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT THEY REPORTEDLY WERE TO CONTINUE THE TOUCH AND GO PATTERN PRACTICE AND TWO SUCCESSFUL TOUCH AND GO'S WERE PERFORMED. ON THE THIRD APPROACH WHILE ON FINAL WITNESSES SAW THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY PITCH NOSE DOWN AND DIVE TO GROUND IMPACT ABOUT 100 YARDS FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING STRONG ENGINE SOUNDS DURING THE FINAL DESCENT TO IMPACT. RESPONDING SHERIFF'S OFFICERS REPORTED DETECTING A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE WRECKAGE AND FOUND THE FUEL TANK COMPROMISED. THE DEPUTY NOTED THAT HE EXAMINED THE ENGINE AREA AND OBSERVED 'NOTHING REMARKABLE.' THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND THE ENGINE PROPELLER WERE PRESENT AT THE IMPACT SITE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE FAILURE OF THE UNQUALIFIED NON CERTIFICATED PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE GYROCOPTER. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/26/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1145 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | EUREKA |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95501 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | EUREKA MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | O33 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 20 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1100 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 5 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ACV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 218 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 18 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| 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) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 664 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 26 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1320 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 48061 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:19PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | NONE |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA408 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AIR COMMAND |
| Aircraft Model | |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | |
| Aircraft Serial Number | |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Gyrocraft |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Not Registered |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | RAINS, JOHN N. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 74 SWANSON LN. |
| Operator City | ARCATA |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 95501 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 033 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | 2700 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |