Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Yelm, Washington 98597
Monday, October 23, 2000 16:50 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A witness observed the gyroplane flying over his residence approximately 300 feet above ground. The witness reported that he waved to the pilot and 'the pilot waved back' and further reported that '...seconds later he [the witness] observed the rear of the gyroplane swaying back and forth and parts falling off the rear portion of the aircraft....' The gyroplane descended steeply to the ground and a post crash fire consumed much of the wreckage. Onsite examination by an FAA inspector determined that the wreckage was confined to a relatively small area with the exception of a diagonal section from the upper portion of the rudder, and one of the propeller's composite blades. These two items were located approximately 150 to 200 feet from the ground impact site. There was evidence of main rotor blade impact on both the separated propeller blade and rudder section. The inspector reported no control discontinuity at the accident site. The gyroplane did not have a horizontal stabilizer.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A main rotor blade strike (impact) with both a pusher propeller blade and the rudder during an unknown phase of operation resulting in a loss of control and uncontrolled descent to terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/23/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1650 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | YELM |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98597 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| 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 | 1656 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 275 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OLM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 206 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 61 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 43 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10048 |
| NTSB Notification Source | SEA FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 23 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1723 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 17 2001 8:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N567AW |
| NTSB Number | SEA01LA008 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | WILDMAN |
| Aircraft Model | ADVENTURER |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | ADVENTURER |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 5107-636D4 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1150 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| 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 | WILDMAN, AUSTIN K. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 17614 SE 291ST STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | KENT |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98042 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 16225 143RD AVE SE |
| Operator City | YELM |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 98597 |
| 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 | 8WA0 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 27 2001 3:43PM |
| 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 | -- |