Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Titusville Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Titusville, Pennsylvania 16354
Saturday, July 28, 2001 12:20 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-certificated pilot bought a homebuilt gyroplane. He returned it to his home and assembled it for flight. At the completion of his first test flight, he reported that it flew nose heavy. Without correcting the nose heavy situation, he then departed on a longer flight, and returned to the departure airport after about an hour's absence. Witnesses saw the gyrocopter make a pass down the runway at reduced power. During the pass, the nose dropped, the pilot added power, and the nose returned to the horizon. The pilot then initiated a steep right turn. During the turn, the nose dropped and the gyrocopter impacted the ground. Witnesses reported that the pilot had been told to "hang" the gyroplane prior to flight to check for proper position of the mast plate. However, the pilot reported that he had not completed the task. No maintenance records were available for review. The pilot did not have a current medical, and his student pilot certificate had expired. He was taking medication used to treat depression, and he was diabetic. The designer of the gyroplane reported that flight with a nose heavy gyroplane would reduce the amount of nose up control available to the pilot. In addition, loss of airspeed in maneuvering, or a power reduction/loss could also induce a nose down attitude.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain control while maneuvering. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in type of gyroplane.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/28/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1220 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Titusville |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 16354 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 413622N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0794431W |
| Event Location Airport | Titusville Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 6G1 |
| 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 | 1600 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1251 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 334 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ERI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 733 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 34 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.15 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1998 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 11882 |
| NTSB Notification Source | EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 28 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 18 2002 10:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Allegheny |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3919C |
| NTSB Number | NYC01LA190 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | -- |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Holsclaw |
| Aircraft Model | Barnett J4B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 96 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 800 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Thurman H. Wagner |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | West Middlesex |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 16148 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | West Middlesex |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 16148 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | 6G1 |
| Departure City | Titusville |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1225 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Titusville |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 14 2002 3:10PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18 |
| Runway Length | 4902 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |