ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 354061
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| Date: | Friday 24 July 1998 |
| Time: | 14:45 LT |
| Type: | Marchetti AVENGER GRYO PLANE |
| Owner/operator: | Majestic Aviation |
| Registration: | N2223A |
| MSN: | FMI2000 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4100 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Mentone, IN -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | (C92) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot performed a normal takeoff and climbed to 500 feet agl, on a 360 degree heading. When he leveled off, the gyroplane's control response 'became suddenly heavy, coinciding with an increase in rotor speed.' The pilot immediately reduced power to idle (600) rpm and attempted a precautionary landing. The aircraft pitched down and dove toward the ground. The pilot and the passenger were both pulled back on the control sticks. The gyroplane impacted into a soybean field. The day before the accident, the pilot had wide-chord (8 and 1/2 inch) rotor blades installed on the gyroplane. On a flight prior to the accident flight, the pilot noticed during rollout from a level, right, 180 degree turn, that the control stick felt very heavy. The previous owner said that the Vne of the gyroplane was 60 mph. At that airspeed, the gyroplane has a nosedown pitch of 5 to 6 degrees. The gyroplane had a 10-inch chord airboat propeller installed on it. The owner said that if the engine power is reduced below 1,200 rpm, the drag, induced by the propeller, increases on the aircraft and the nose will pitch down. The engine idles at approximately 600 to 650 rpm. 'If the aircraft was fast and the pilot reduced the power to idle, he would run out of aft stick.' Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies.
Probable Cause: the pilot's lack of familiarity with the gyroplane's performance, and his improper in-flight decision to reduce engine power to idle which aggravated the gyroplane's nose down pitch and exceeded the gyroplane's back stick authority.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CHI98LA277
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Mar-2024 18:39 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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