Gillespie SPORT COPTER VORTEX N96XV

Summary

On 21 February 2004 at about 21:55 local time, a Gillespie SPORT COPTER VORTEX registered N96XV was involved in an accident near Yuba City, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 February 2004 at 21:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Yuba City, California, United States

Coordinates

39.1236, -121.6053

Aircraft

Gillespie SPORT COPTER VORTEX

Registration

N96XV

Category

Gyrocraft

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sutter County → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX04LA132

1 person died.

a loss of engine power due to the incorrect installation of the fuel line, which resulted in fuel starvation, and the pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM, which resulted in an inflight loss of control. A factor to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience flying gyrocopters.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The gyrocopter collided with the ground in an uncontrolled descent following a loss of engine power. This was the second test flight for the gyrocopter. A witness reported that the gyrocopter flew overhead at 50 feet, with the engine sputtering. It then entered a steep descent and impacted a dry riverbed about 45 yards away. At the wreckage site, approximately 1/2 tank of fuel was present. No fuel was found in either of the two carburetors. The blades of the pusher propeller, made of carbon fiber and foam filled, were displaced from the gyrocopter and displayed cracks on the surfaces, but were otherwise intact. The main rotor was bent downward and had impacted the gear ring on the main drive shaft. The Rotax 582 engine contained oil and was rotated. The tachometer time indicated a total engine operation time of 12.2 hours. Post accident inspection of the gyrocopter revealed that a vacuum line to the pneumatic fuel pump, which is made of a soft and easily collapsible nylon reinforced vinyl material, was kinked at a 45-degree angle at its attachment fitting. The pilot had a total gyrocopter flight time of 11 hours and this was the second test flight for this gyrocopter.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.