Oshkosh Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901
Friday, July 26, 1985 10:30 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT WAS PRACTICING LOW ALTITUDE MANEUVERS, ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. WHEN HE TURNED TO MAKE A DOWNWIND, AT THE SOUTHEAST END OF THE RUNWAY, HE IMPACTED WITH THE TERRAIN. WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY OBSERVED THE GYROPLANE MAKING STEEP TURNS AT A LOW ALTITUDE AND IT HAD JUST ENTERED A STEEP LEFT TURN, DOWNWIND AT A 45 DEGREE NOSEDOWN ANGLE, WHEN THE GYROPLANE FLEW INTO THE GROUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/26/1985
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1030
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City OSHKOSH
Event State WISCONSIN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 54901
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport OSHKOSH
Event Location Nearest Airport ID OSH
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 805
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1045 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID OSH
Elevation of weather observation facility 805
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
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) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 300
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
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 Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2954
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 26 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1045
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 32095
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N46Z
NTSB Number CHI85FA315
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CHRISTOPHER D. BROWN
Aircraft Model GYROPLANE
Aircraft Series Identifier GYROPLANE
Aircraft Serial Number 121546
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 3 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 52
Airframe Hours 53
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHRISTOPHER D. BROWN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 666 PENN #3
Aircraft Owner City DENVER
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80203
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code OSH
Departure City OSHKOSH
Departure State WI
Departure Country
Departure Time 1015
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
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 --