Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lansing Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lansing, Illinois 60438
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 14:30 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The un-registered gyrocopter was destroyed when it impacted terrain. The un-certified pilot received fatal injuries as a result of the crash. A witness to the accident stated that the gyrocopter made a westerly turn at an altitude of about 50 feet above ground level and passed in front of him at an altitude of 100 feet above ground level. The witness said within seconds he observed the gyrocopter in an abrupt climb followed by a quick descent, followed by an even faster climb. The witness said the gyrocopter then tumbled to the ground. The witness described the incident as a classic phugoid oscillation or "pilot induced oscillation." The Rotorcraft Flying Handbook refers to this as "an unintentional up-and-down oscillation of the gyroplane accompanied with alternating climbs and descents of the aircraft." The weather was reported as: Wind 020 degrees at 16 knots and gusts at 21 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition overcast at 2,100.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The inadvertent pilot induced oscillation. Factor to the accident was the wind gusts.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/1/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Lansing |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60438 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 413223N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0873155W |
| Event Location Airport | Lansing Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | IGQ |
| 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 | 616 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1425 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IGQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 616 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 21 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -1236 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KIGQ 011925Z AUTO 03013KT 10SM OVC019 M01/M0 |
| 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) | 15075 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 1 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1500 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 30 2004 8:14AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | West Chicago, Illinois |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | NONE |
| NTSB Number | CHI03LA048 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Air Command |
| Aircraft Model | Commander Elite |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | -- |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | James F. Gear |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2313 Benedict Ave. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Joliet |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60431 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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 | IGQ |
| Departure City | Lansing |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Lansing |
| Destination State | IL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 25 2006 12:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |