Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Mt Pleasant, Texas 75455
Friday, June 29, 1984 13:30 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE GYROCOPTER PLT TOOK OFF & TURNED ONTO A LEFT DOWNWIND TO STAY IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RWY 17. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE GYROCOPTER TURNED ONTO FINAL APCH AT ABOUT 300 TO 400 FT AGL. TWO OTHER WITNESSES, WHO RESIDE APRX 1/4 MI NORTH OF THE ARPT, RELATED THAT THE GYROCOPTER FLEW LOW OVER THEIR PROPERTY AT ABOUT 150 FT WHILE TURNING ONTO FINAL. BOTH REPORTED THAT THE ENG WAS OPERATING & SOUNDED NORMAL. ONE INDIVIDUAL STATED THAT THE PLT WAVED AS HE PASSED OVER HIS BACKYARD. REPORTEDLY, THE GYROCOPTER FLEW LOW OVER POWER LINES, CLIMBED TO A MORE NORMAL ALTITUDE, THEN ENTERED A STEEP DESCENT & CRASHED. ONE WITNESS SAID IT STALLED. ANOTHER SAID IT FELL LIKE A ROCK. IMPACT OCCURRED ABOUT 200 FT SHORT OF THE RWY. NO PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. LOCAL GYROCOPTER OPERATORS STATED THE PLT WAS TEACHING HIMSELF TO FLY DESPITE RECOMMENDATIONS TO OBTAIN INSTRUCTION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/29/1984
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1330
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City MT PLEASANT
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 75455
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MT. PLEASANT MUNICIPAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID F03
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 350
Airport Elevation 404
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1346 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 150
Weather Observation Facility ID GGG
Elevation of weather observation facility 365
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 43
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 10000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
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) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 21
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 120
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
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) 1764
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 25643
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 N455FG
NTSB Number FTW84FA290
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 GRIFFIN
Aircraft Model FG-1A
Aircraft Series Identifier FG-1A
Aircraft Serial Number 1
Certified Max Gross Weight 650
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Sep 1 1983 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 45
Airframe Hours 45
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name EARNEST W. GROBER
Aircraft Owner Street Address ROUTE 1 BOX 395-2
Aircraft Owner City ORE CITY
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 75683
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 1325
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 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 17
Runway Length 3800
Runway Width 125
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --