St. John The Baptist Parish Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Reserve, Louisiana 70084
Sunday, September 21, 2014 17:20 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

On September 21, 2014, about 1720 central daylight time, a Brupbacher CB2000 gyroplane, N5002E, impacted water in Reserve, Louisiana, after an unknown item was observed separating from the gyroplane. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The gyroplane was destroyed. The gyroplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight had just originated from St. John the Baptist Parish Airport (1L0), Reserve, Louisiana. Witnesses reported seeing the gyroplane take off on runway 35, turn left onto the crosswind leg, and climb to about 200 feet. They saw "something fall off" the gyroplane, then the rotor blades folded, and the gyroplane crashed into a canal and submerged.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/21/2014
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1720
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City Reserve
Event State LOUISIANA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 70084
Event Date Year 2014
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 300513N
Event Location Longitude 0903458W
Event Location Airport St. John the Baptist Parish
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 1L0
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 305
Airport Elevation 7
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Unknown
Time of the weather observation 1653 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 90
Weather Observation Facility ID KMSY
Elevation of weather observation facility 4
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 4000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
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) 31
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 50
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.97
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report KMSY 212153Z 05005KT 10SM SCT040 31/19 A2997
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) --
NTSB Notification Source FAA ASW ROC
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 23 2014 4:40PM
User who most recently changed record scoa
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5002E
NTSB Number CEN14LA508
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BRUPBACHER CHRIS
Aircraft Model CB2000
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number H2-02-13-546
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Gyrocraft
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats 1
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats 1
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 --
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 Mahler, Darren J.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4617 Kent Ave.
Aircraft Owner City Metairie
Aircraft Owner State LA
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 70006-2011
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Mahler, Darren J.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 4617 Kent Ave.
Operator City Metairie
Operator State LA
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 70006-2011
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 No
Departure Airport Code 1L0
Departure City Reserve
Departure State LA
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1720
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code 1L0
Destination City Reserve
Destination State LA
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 23 2014 2:07PM
User who most recently changed record scoa
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 35
Runway Length 3999
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --