Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Perry County Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tell City, Indiana 47586
Tuesady, July 27, 2010 10:05 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The experimental amateur-built gyroplane was maneuvering in the traffic pattern when it descended into a heavily wooded area adjacent to the airport. There were no eyewitnesses to the final moments of the flight; however, several individuals reported hearing a sudden decrease in engine noise immediately before ground impact. There was limited damage to the dense overhead foliage at the accident site, consistent with a near-vertical descent path. The entire gyroplane was extensively damaged during a postaccident ground fire, which precluded the determination of any potential preimpact engine or flight control system malfunctions. Although the leading edge of the main rotor blades did not exhibit any appreciable impact damage, the damage to the engine propeller blades and nearby tree branches was consistent with engine rotation as the gyroplane descended vertically through the trees. The gyroplane's near-vertical descent through the trees and the minimal damage to the main rotor system was consistent with an aerodynamic stall.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's loss of control of the gyroplane for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/27/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1005 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Tell City |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 47586 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 380108N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0864133W |
| Event Location Airport | Perry County Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KTEL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 660 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 955 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 322 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | NHNB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 529 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 18 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.07 |
| 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 |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30050 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA - Great Lakes ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 29 2012 11:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | bakd |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N91814 |
| NTSB Number | CEN10LA442 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Lunceford |
| Aircraft Model | Sparrowhawk II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | S0200018 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| 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 | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 15 2010 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 | Charles Gene Lunceford |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lewisport |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 42351 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Charles Gene Lunceford |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Lewisport |
| Operator State | KY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 42351 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | KTEL |
| Departure City | Tell City |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KTEL |
| Destination City | Tell City |
| Destination State | IN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 28 2012 4:07PM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 13 |
| Runway Length | 4400 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |