Summary
On July 21, 2012, a Bertram William J BERTRAM 2000 (N115WB) was involved in an accident near Shiocton, WI. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot’s distraction with taking photographs, which resulted in his failure to maintain sufficient altitude to avoid the guy wire.
The pilot reported he was taking aerial photos of the airport where he is based out of, as they were hosting a fly-in. He stated he was flying toward the airport and trying to take photos when he realized he was getting too close to the airport. He initiated a turn downwind away from the airport, at which time the gyrocopter lost altitude. The lower right side of the fuselage and the right landing gear strut contacted a guy wire attached to a utility pole alongside the highway which bordered the south side of the airport. The gyrocopter then descended to the terrain and came to rest in a ditch alongside the highway substantially damaging the vertical tail surfaces, and the main rotor blades.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN12CA464. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N115WB.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s distraction with taking photographs, which resulted in his failure to maintain sufficient altitude to avoid the guy wire.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported he was taking aerial photos of the airport where he is based out of, as they were hosting a fly-in. He stated he was flying toward the airport and trying to take photos when he realized he was getting too close to the airport. He initiated a turn downwind away from the airport, at which time the gyrocopter lost altitude. The lower right side of the fuselage and the right landing gear strut contacted a guy wire attached to a utility pole alongside the highway which bordered the south side of the airport. The gyrocopter then descended to the terrain and came to rest in a ditch alongside the highway substantially damaging the vertical tail surfaces, and the main rotor blades. The pilot stated that he was distracted by trying to use the camera and that he was not paying attention to the surroundings when the accident occurred.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN12CA464