Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
West Texas Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
El Paso, Texas 79927
Saturday, April 7, 1990 12:20 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING TAKEOFF, THE GYROPLANE WAS SEEN CLIMBING IN A STEEP ATTITUDE, FOLLOWED BY OSCILLATIONS ABOUT THE LATERAL AXIS. THESE EXCURSIONS INCREASED IN SEVERITY AND THE ROTOR BLADE RPM DETERIORATED. AFTER ABOUT THREE OSCILLATIONS, THE GYROPLANE ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND TUMBLED TO THE GROUND FROM AN APPROXIMATE HEIGHT OF 125 FT. INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED EVIDENCE OF DOWNWARD ROTATIONAL FLAPPING MOTION OF THE ROTOR BLADES. CORRESPONDING IMPACT MARKS SHOWED THAT THE ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TIPS OF THE PROPELLER BLADES AND THE VERTICAL STABILIZER/RUDDER. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER/RUDDER HAD SEPARATED IN FLIGHT AND WAS FOUND ABOUT 75 FT FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE PILOT WAS NOT RATED IN GYROPLANES OR ROTORCRAFT; HE HAD RECEIVED 2 HOURS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION IN A GYROPLANE OVER SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT; HE HAD NOT BEEN ENDORSED FOR SOLO FLIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT AND SPEED PLACED IT IN THE CATEGORY OF AN AIRCRAFT, IT WAS NOT REGISTERED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND ROTOR RPM. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUCTION AND EXPERIENCE IN ROTORCRAFT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/7/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1220 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | EL PASO |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 79927 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WEST TEXAS |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TX04 |
| 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 | 4007 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1300 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ELP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3956 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Overcast |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 5100 |
| 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 | FAA |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1588 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 7 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 42858 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 4:54PM |
| 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 | FTW90DQA01 |
| 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 | 532 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 532 |
| 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 | 1 |
| 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 | 20 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | M. GAN, R. SAUNDERS, C. HITTLE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7731 NORTH LOOP |
| Aircraft Owner City | EL PASO |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 79915 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | HITTLE, CARL E. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 10196 BON AIRE |
| Operator City | EL PASO |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 79924 |
| 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 | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1218 |
| Departure Time Zone | MBT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | TX04 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| 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 | 8 |
| Runway Length | 6540 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |