Summary
On June 28, 2012, a Michael A Howard DOMINATOR (N447PM) was involved in an accident near Omaha, NE. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: A nosewheel shimmy on takeoff, which resulted in the failure of the nosewheel landing gear and a loss of control.
The pilot, who was also the builder, was conducting testing on the newly built gyrocopter. He reported that he spun the rotor up to approximately 110 rpm and was attempting to accelerate the rotor to flight rpm, by going down the runway. The pilot added that he was going about 25 mph when the nosewheel hit a bump in the runway and started to shimmy. He immediately reduced the throttle to slow down; however, the nosewheel strut failed, the craft turned left, and came to rest on its right side. During the rollover, the rotor and fuselage sustained substantial damage.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN12CA416. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N447PM.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
A nosewheel shimmy on takeoff, which resulted in the failure of the nosewheel landing gear and a loss of control.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot, who was also the builder, was conducting testing on the newly built gyrocopter. He reported that he spun the rotor up to approximately 110 rpm and was attempting to accelerate the rotor to flight rpm, by going down the runway. The pilot added that he was going about 25 mph when the nosewheel hit a bump in the runway and started to shimmy. He immediately reduced the throttle to slow down; however, the nosewheel strut failed, the craft turned left, and came to rest on its right side. During the rollover, the rotor and fuselage sustained substantial damage.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN12CA416