N962GT – MILLS GREGORY T AIR COMMANDER LRT – 2016-05-14 NTSB Accident Report

On May 14, 2016, a Mills Gregory T AIR COMMANDER LRT (N962GT) was involved in an incident near Tybee Island, GA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's decision to perform a touch-and-go on unsuitable terrain, which resulted in a loss of directional control and a rollover.

The pilot of a gyroplane reported that during a touch-and-go on a sand bar, the nose wheel began to dig into soft sand. The pilot further reported that he turned the nose wheel to the left towards firmer sand, but the spring-loaded nose wheel dug further into the sand and suddenly turned "full left." Subsequently, the gyroplane rolled over to the right, which resulted in substantial damage to the rudder.

The pilot reported that the throttle quadrant friction-set screw had become loose while in-flight, but the mechanical malfunction did not occur during the touch-and-go phase of flight.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA16CA240. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N962GT.