N595X

Substantial
None

AUTOGYRO GMBH CALIDUSS/N: C00350

Accident Details

Date
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
NTSB Number
ERA15CA121
Location
Crozet, VA
Event ID
20150205X21520
Coordinates
38.069442, -78.700553
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
1
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot's improper control inputs which resulted in a loss of control and rollover during the takeoff roll.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N595X
Make
AUTOGYRO GMBH
Serial Number
C00350
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Model / ICAO
CALIDUSSPHA
Aircraft Type
Gyroplane
No. of Engines
1

Analysis

After departing from the airport where the pilot kept the gyroplane, he flew to his family farm and landed without incident on a 1,500-foot-long grass polo field. Later on, during an attempted takeoff from the same field, when the gyroplane was traveling at 25 to 30 knots and was about 150 feet into the takeoff roll, the gyroplane rose to a balanced position on its main wheels, but then began to bounce up and down violently. The pilot then lost control of the gyroplane and it rolled over on its' left side about 300 feet into the takeoff roll. The pilot advised that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the gyroplane. He further advised that it was "pilot error" and that he had "over advanced" the blades by pushing the control stick too far forward and that the blades were not yet at speed (too low a rotor rpm) when he did it. The pilot was not injured, but the gyroplane incurred damage to the rotor blades, the pusher propeller, the horizontal stabilizer, the vertical stabilizer, the rudder, the engine cowling, and the wheel pants.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA15CA121