Olney Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Olney, Texas 76374
Wednesday, December 13, 2000 17:00 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot was performing a short test flight in an experimental prototype gyroplane. After a low level, low airspeed flight down runway centerline, the pilot executed a run-on landing at 30 MPH about 300 feet from the departure end of the runway. The aircraft slowed to about 20 MPH as it rolled off of the runway surface, and onto a muddy field. Subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed, allowing a 4-foot x 4-foot long section of nose boom to dig into the mud. The aircraft then pitched down about the nose as the main rotor impacted the ground. After the rotor impact, the aircraft rolled to the right, and the right wing impacted the ground. The aircraft sustained structural damage to the right wing, rudder, and main rotor. Skid marks, found about 150 feet forward of the original touch down point, and correlating to the aircraft's landing gear/tires, were observed on the runway. The designer and manufacturer of the prototype, monitored the entire flight with on-board parameter recording devices. These data suggested that the pilot did not lower the collective enough for the brakes to be effective.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's delay in lowering the collective during a run-on landing, which resulted in a runway overrun. A factor was the muddy terrain.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/13/2000
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1700
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City OLNEY
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 76374
Event Date Year 2000
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport OLNEY AIRPORT
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ONY
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 1275
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
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) 6
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
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) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 594
NTSB Notification Source FAA Operations Center
NTSB Notification Date Dec 19 2000 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1215
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Apr 21 2001 4:05AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N121CC
NTSB Number FTW01LA040
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 Cartercopter
Aircraft Model MODEL 1
Aircraft Series Identifier MODEL 1
Aircraft Serial Number 001
Certified Max Gross Weight 3500
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 5
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Dec 12 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 2
Airframe Hours 85
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CARTERCOPTERS LLC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5720 SEYMOUR HWY
Aircraft Owner City WICHITA
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 76301
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) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code ONY
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1659
Departure Time Zone CST
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 Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Apr 21 2001 4:05AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 22
Runway Length 5098
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --