St Charles City Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

St. Charles, Missouri 63301
Monday, August 12, 1985 19:30 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE HOME BUILT GYROCOPTER WAS BEING FLOWN BY THE OWNER/BUILDER/DESIGNER WHO HAD AN AIRPLANE, SINGLE-ENG, LAND RATING. SHORTLY AFTER THE GYROCOPTER TOOK OFF, THE ENG WAS OPERATING AT A HIGH RPM WHEN A WITNESS HEARD A POP/NOISE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE GYROCOPTER CRASHED IN A CORN FIELD ABOUT 1-1/2 MI FROM THE DEPARTURE POINT. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS FOUND INVERTED. ONE ROTOR BLADE, THE OIL COOLER & THE LEFT VERTICAL STABILIZER & RUDDER WERE FOUND 60 TO 150 FT FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. BOTH OF THE WOODEN PROP BLADES HAD SHATTERED. THE OIL COOLER HAD BEEN INSTALLED BELOW THE ENG & JUST FORWARD OF THE PROP. ITS UPPER SIDE HAD BEEN ATTACHED WITH A SINGLE SOLID MOUNT USING AN 'L' SHAPED ALUMINUM STRAP. ITS LOWER SIDE WAS FASTENED WITH A SEMIFLEXIBLE MOUNTING. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE UPPER MOUNT HAD FAILED & ALLOWED THE OIL COOLER TO MOVE AFT INTO THE PLANE OF ROTATION OF THE PROP BLADES. EXCEPT FOR THE OIL COOLER BRACKET, NO PRE- ACCIDENT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE FOUND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/12/1985
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1930
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City ST. CHARLES
Event State MISSOURI
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 63301
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport ST CHARLES CITY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 3SL
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 45
Airport Elevation 438
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1845 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 170
Weather Observation Facility ID STL
Elevation of weather observation facility 604
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 12
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) 4
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 32
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 24
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 160
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 13
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
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) 1158
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 12 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2130
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 28503
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 N4741A
NTSB Number MKC85FA182
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 RONALD HOUK
Aircraft Model RD-1
Aircraft Series Identifier RD-1
Aircraft Serial Number 100
Certified Max Gross Weight 630
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 2
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RONALD D. HOUK
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1319 JACKSON LANE
Aircraft Owner City FLORISSANT
Aircraft Owner State MO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 63031
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
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1926
Departure Time Zone CDT
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 Cruise
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 36
Runway Length 3800
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --