Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lada Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Petersburg, Michigan 49270
Thursday, July 10, 2014 17:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On July 10, 2014, about 1730 eastern daylight time, an unregistered amateur-built Air Command model 532 gyroplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Lada Airport (7MI5), Petersburg, Michigan. The pilot, who had an expired student pilot certificate, was fatally injured. The gyroplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight that departed 7MI5 at an unknown time.
An individual reported that the pilot had arrived at the departure airport around 1700 with the gyroplane on a trailer. There were no witnesses to the accident flight. On the morning of July 11, 2014, the gyroplane was found in a potato field located about 500 yards east of the departure airport. A wreckage debris path originated from the initial point-of-impact on a northerly heading and measured about 30 feet long. All airframe components were located along the wreckage debris path or amongst the main wreckage. Flight control continuity could not be established due to the extent of the damage; however, all observed flight control system discontinuities were consistent with overstress. One of the two main rotor blades had separated from the mast hub assembly; however, the observed damage to the separated rotor blade was consistent with impact damage. Examination of the engine revealed that the forward spark plug of the two-cylinder, two-stroke, Rotax model 532 engine was loose and could be removed by hand without the aid of any tools. No additional preimpact anomalies were noted with the engine that would have prevented its normal operation. Additionally, there was limited damage to the 3-blade propeller, the throttle was found in the full-aft position, and there was the smell of automobile fuel present at the accident site.
On October 25, 2002, the pilot was issued a student pilot certificate in conjunction with the issuance of a third-class medical certificate. When applying for the medical certificate, the pilot reported having 45 hours total flight time, of which 22 hours had been accumulated during the 6 month period preceding the medical examination. A search of Federal Aviation Administration records did not reveal any subsequent issuances of any medical and/or pilot certificates.
At 1735, the automated surface observing system (ASOS) located at Toledo Suburban Airport (DUH), about 9 miles south of the accident site, reported: wind from 120 degrees at 5 knots; visibility 10 miles; clear sky; temperature 25 degrees Celsius, dew point 14 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.14 inches of mercury.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/10/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1730 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Petersburg |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49270 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 415315N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0834036W |
| Event Location Airport | Lada Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 7MI5 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.25 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | 678 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1735 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 174 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DUH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 669 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| 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) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.14 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KDUH 102135Z AUTO 12005KT 10SM CLR 25/14 A30 |
| 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 | Central Region Duty Officer, A |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 17 2014 3:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | NONE |
| NTSB Number | CEN14LA371 |
| 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 | 532 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | -- |
| 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 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| 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 | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Kenneth Gary West |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2127 North Willow Way |
| Aircraft Owner City | Monroe |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 48161 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Kenneth Gary West |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 2127 North Willow Way |
| Operator City | Monroe |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 48161 |
| 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 | 7MI5 |
| Departure City | Petersburg |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 7MI5 |
| Destination City | Petersburg |
| Destination State | MI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 17 2014 2:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |