Air Command 532 UNREG
22 January 1990 · Munster, Indiana, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 22 January 1990 at about 21:00 local time, a Air Command 532 registered UNREG, operated by Sheimo, Julian A., was involved in an accident near Munster, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Munster, Indiana, United States
- Coordinates
- 41.5400, -87.5008
- Aircraft
- Air Command 532
- Registration
- UNREG
- Category
- Gyrocraft
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Sheimo, Julian A.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lansing → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI90DET02
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S OSTENTATIOUS DISPLAY AND HIS LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN TYPE AIRCRAFT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE NON-RATED PILOT WAS OBSERVED MAKING SEVERAL LOW ALTITUDE, LOW SPEED PASSES. THE GYROPLANE WAS THEN OBSERVED MAKING HIGH BANK TURNS AND ACCELERATING TO SPEEDS FASTER THAN THE WITNESSES HAD SEEN A GYROPLANE FLY BEFORE. AFTER ROLLING OUT OF A TURN AND LEVELING OFF, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO BEGIN A SERIES OF UP-AND-DOWN ROLLER COASTER-LIKE MANEUVERS FOLLOWED BY A DIVING ROLL TO IMPACT. THE PILOT HAD A STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE AND HAD RECEIVED GYROPLANE INSTRUCTION FROM TWO INSTRUCTORS. NEITHER INSTRUCTOR HAD CERTIFIED THE PILOT FOR SOLO FLIGHT IN A GYROPLANE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Command 532 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jun 1990 | Air Command 532 | Rome, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Apr 1990 | Air Command 532 | El Paso, Texas, United States | Hittle, Carl E. | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Jul 1988 | Air Command 532 ELITE | Palmer, Alaska, United States | Harsh, Toni H. | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 1988 | Air Command 532 | Stormville, New York, United States | Bernard Wagner | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 1988 | Air Command 532E | Clearwater, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Jun 1987 | Air Command 532 | St.francisville, Louisiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jun 1990 | Cessna 152 | Hagerstown, Indiana, United States | Brookville Airpark | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 Apr 1990 | Nihon YS-11A-600F | West Lafayette, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Nov 1990 | Cessna 210G | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States | Larry E. Bailey | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Jan 1990 | Cessna 150F | Elkhart, Indiana, United States | VFR Fliers, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jan 1990 | Cessna 152 | Rochester, Indiana, United States | Skyways, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jan 1990 | Bell 47-G2 | Lafayette, Indiana, United States | Townsend, John R. | No injuries | - |