Summary
On May 09, 2009, a Atkins John RAF 2000 G (N1435X) was involved in an accident near South Prairie, WA. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's abrupt maneuver to avoid a collision that resulted in an airspeed reduction and subsequent loss of lift provided by the rotor system. Contributing to the accident was the failure of both pilots to maintain an adequate visual lookout for other aircraft in the traffic pattern.
The pilot reported that during takeoff initial climb from the uncontrolled airport, at 50 feet above ground level (agl), he heard the sound of an airplane coming towards him from the left and saw a shadow of the airplane on the ground merging with his, and initiated an abrupt turn of 90 degrees to the right to avoid a collision. Upon completion of the turn, the pilot noticed he had lost a significant amount of airspeed and was heading towards a residential structure. The pilot initiated a second turn to the right to miss the house and attempt to regain airspeed. Subsequently, the gyroplane impacted terrain adjacent to the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the flight control system or engine prior to the accident.
This accident is documented in NTSB report WPR09CA232. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N1435X.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's abrupt maneuver to avoid a collision that resulted in an airspeed reduction and subsequent loss of lift provided by the rotor system. Contributing to the accident was the failure of both pilots to maintain an adequate visual lookout for other aircraft in the traffic pattern.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported that during takeoff initial climb from the uncontrolled airport, at 50 feet above ground level (agl), he heard the sound of an airplane coming towards him from the left and saw a shadow of the airplane on the ground merging with his, and initiated an abrupt turn of 90 degrees to the right to avoid a collision. Upon completion of the turn, the pilot noticed he had lost a significant amount of airspeed and was heading towards a residential structure. The pilot initiated a second turn to the right to miss the house and attempt to regain airspeed. Subsequently, the gyroplane impacted terrain adjacent to the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the flight control system or engine prior to the accident. A witness located adjacent to the accident site reported that another aircraft was apparently making a high speed pass over the runway and overflew the gyroplane as it was taking off.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR09CA232