Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Valkarie Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Valkeria, Florida 32859
Monday, April 29, 2013 7:44 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On April 29, 2013, about 0744 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built, experimental Dominator gyrocopter, N85KY, incurred substantial damage after impacting terrain while in the local traffic pattern at Valkarie Airport (X59), Valkarie, Florida. The light sport pilot sustained fatal injuries. The gyrocopter was registered to and operated by a private individual as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.
A pilot and personal friend of the accident pilot who witnessed and videotaped the accident flight, stated that the pilot ran-up the engine and performed his preflight checks at the approach end of runway 10. For an unknown reason, the pilot turned the engine off and then back on again. The pilot started a takeoff roll, engaged the rotor head pre-rotator, the gyrocopter then veered to the left, and the pilot aborted the takeoff attempt. During taxi back, the pilot told the witness on video that the pre-rotator system was slipping. The pilot back-taxied to the approach end of runway 10, reengaged the pre-rotor, and started a second takeoff roll. The witness stated that the takeoff roll was about 1,500 feet in length, and was an unusually long takeoff roll compared to the other gyrocopter takeoffs that he had witnessed in the past.
After takeoff from runway 10, the gyrocopter made a left down-wind turn. The pilot turned left base and then final for runway 10, overflying the runway at approximately 30 feet above ground level. The pilot then turned left and paralleled runway 32, entered a right downwind, and subsequently turned right base for runway 14. The gyrocopter appeared to be on approach to landing and as it descended, the pilot added power, rapidly climbed, and then descended to impact the asphalt on the left side of runway 14.
The gyrocopter came to rest about 1,000 feet inside the approach end of runway 14 on the north apron, up against a Cessna 172 parked on the ramp. The debris path bore a 117-degree magnetic path at a width of 60 feet and a length of 80 feet.
Initial examination of the gyrocopter revealed that it incurred substantial damage to the rotor blades, a fractured keel, and bending damage to the frame.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/29/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 744 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Valkeria |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32859 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 275706N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0803305W |
| Event Location Airport | Valkarie Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | X59 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 26 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 753 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MLB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 33 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.03 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | 29/04/2013 11:53-> METAR KMLB 291153Z 16006KT 10S |
| 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) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | Airport Operations |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 3 2013 2:06PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N85KY |
| NTSB Number | ERA13FA219 |
| 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 | Daniels |
| Aircraft Model | Dominator |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 001 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 675 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 50 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | William Scott Adair |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3431 Miranda Court S. E. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Palm Bay |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32909 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | William Scott Adair |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Palm Bay |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32909 |
| 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 | X59 |
| Departure City | Valkeria |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | X59 |
| Destination City | Valkeria |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 3 2013 2:06PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 14 |
| Runway Length | 4000 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |