Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Blairstown Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Blairstown, New Jersey 07825
Tuesady, July 31, 2001 11:46 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot of the gyroplane taxied into position, and held on the end of the runway. She then engaged the main rotor system and advanced the throttle. She brought the main rotor up to 120 rpm in flat pitch, and then advanced the throttle and changed the pitch on the main rotor blades from ground to flight, after which, the gyroplane entered ground resonance. The pilot reported that she changed the pitch of the main rotor system from flight, back to ground and closed the throttle. Witnesses reported the gyroplane bounced and rocked from side to side, and came to rest on its side. The main rotor system separated from the rotor mast. A two piece friction fit sleeve for main rotor pitch control had separated. There was no evidence of recent wear on the threads in front of the nuts that held the sleeve together. The hydraulic blade dampers had separated from the main rotor blades and were not recovered. The gyroplane had been operated 0.7 hours since the last annual inspection, which had been conducted by the pilot. In addition, she declined to be interviewed by the Safety Board about the accident, and did not report any flight experience in make and model. However she was rated in both airplanes and rotorcraft, and also held flight instructor ratings in those models.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
An encounter with ground resonance for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/31/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1146 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Blairstown |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 07825 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 405809N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0750009W |
| Event Location Airport | Blairstown Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 1N7 |
| 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 | 372 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1151 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 238 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ABE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 394 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 28 |
| 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) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.3 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11763 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 31 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1500 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 3 2002 12:16PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Allentown, Pennsylvania |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6121S |
| NTSB Number | NYC01LA196 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Air & Space |
| Aircraft Model | 18A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1827 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1800 |
| Aircraft Category | Gyrocraft |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 4 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 2739 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Kim A. Darst |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Blairstown |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 07825 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| 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 | 1N7 |
| Departure City | Blairstown |
| Departure State | NJ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1146 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 1N7 |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | NJ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Standing - engine(s) operating |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 9 2002 9:42AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 7 |
| Runway Length | 3100 |
| Runway Width | 70 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |