Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Zettel Memorial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gladwin, Michigan 48624
Monday, July 4, 2005 18:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The amateur built gyrocopter collided with the terrain following a loss of control while on the downwind leg of a traffic pattern. The accident occurred on the third traffic circuit of the flight. A witness reported seeing the gyrocopter in a tight traffic pattern at an altitude of about 150 feet above the ground. He stated the gyrocopter then entered a 25 to 30 degree nose down attitude which it maintained for 3 to 4 seconds prior to entering a 45 degree nose down attitude. The witness stated the gyrocopter lost about one-third of its altitude prior to the main rotor blades folding up and over the gyrocopter, possibly striking the propeller blades. He stated the nose of the gyrocopter then rose and it flipped over backwards. He stated the gyrocopter spun backward and sideways until it impacted the ground. The accident occurred during the pilot's first solo flight in the gyrocopter. Inspection of the wreckage did not reveal any mechanical failure/malfunction which would have resulted in the loss of control.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the gyrocopter while in the traffic pattern. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot's lack of gyrocopter experience.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/4/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1850 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Gladwin |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 48624 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 435814N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0842830W |
| Event Location Airport | Zettel Memorial |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GDW |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1855 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 205 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MOP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 755 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 24 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.92 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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 Docket Number (internal use) | 19470 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 4 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 25 2006 11:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Grand Rapids, MI FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N481KB |
| NTSB Number | CHI05LA163 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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 | Becker |
| Aircraft Model | RAF 2000 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | H2-98-9-390 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Gyrocraft |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 1 2005 12:00AM |
| 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 | Kenneth A. Becker |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Gladwin |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 48624 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | GDW |
| Departure City | Gladwin |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | GDW |
| Destination City | Gladwin |
| Destination State | MI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - downwind |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 30 2006 7:37AM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 27 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |