AIRGYRO AVIATION LLC TERCEL
Spanish Fork, UT — August 9, 2018
Event Information
| Date | August 9, 2018 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | GAA18CA484 |
| Event ID | 20180810X80447 |
| Location | Spanish Fork, UT |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 40.14167, -111.66278 |
| Airport | SPANISH FORK ARPT SPRINGVILLE- |
| Highest Injury | MINR |
Aircraft
| Make | AIRGYRO AVIATION LLC |
| Model | TERCEL |
| Category | GYRO |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 1 |
| None | 0 |
| Total Injured | 1 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The student pilot’s failure to maintain pitch and yaw control during takeoff.
Full Narrative
The solo student pilot of the gyroplane reported that, during takeoff, he pulled the stick back and advanced the throttle to full. He accelerated and noticed "there was no tendency for the nose to rise", so he applied back pressure and the gyroplane immediately turned left, rolled onto its side, and skidded off the runway to the left.
The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the main rotor, fuselage, and empennage.
The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The flight instructor provided a video of the student pilot's accident takeoff. The video showed the gyroplane accelerating down the runway, rapidly pitching up, and immediately rotating to the left before impacting the runway.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.