Hammack AIR COMMAND ELITE N6111A
19 July 2006 · Hilo, Hawaii, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 19 July 2006 at about 01:05 local time, a Hammack AIR COMMAND ELITE registered N6111A was involved in an accident near Hilo, Hawaii, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:05
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hilo, Hawaii, United States
- Nearest airport
- Hilo International Airport (PHTO)
- Coordinates
- 19.6901, -155.0800
- Aircraft
- Hammack AIR COMMAND ELITE
- Registration
- N6111A
- Category
- Gyrocraft
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Hilo → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX06LA236
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
an in-flight separation of a control rod joint assembly, which resulted in the pilot's loss of control. The underlying reason for the separation could not be determined.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The gyrocopter collided with terrain following an in-flight separation of a control system rod. While making a right turn about 500 feet above ground level (agl), the pilot experienced a loss of control and the gyrocopter continued to roll to the right. The pilot attempted to regain control by correcting for the increasing rate of turn and descent of the gyrocopter, but he was not able to. He attempted to perform a forced landing and subsequently collided with terrain adjacent to the destination airport. The gyrocopter was constructed by and regularly maintained by the pilot. A post accident examination of the wreckage revealed that a bolt attaching a control rod in the cyclic system was missing. The bolt and its respective nut were never located. The gyrocopter manual states that during a preflight inspection, the pilot should verify the integrity of the nylon locking nut by twisting it in a counterclockwise direction. If the nut moves during this check, it should be replaced before the gyrocopter is flown.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jan 2006 | Eurocopter AS350BA | Hana, Hawaii, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 2006 | Cessna 172S | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 May 2006 | Partenavia P68 | Kaunakakai, Hawaii, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Mar 2006 | Cessna 414A | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 5 Jan 2006 | Eurocopter EC 130B4 | Lahaina, Hawaii, United States | Helicopter Consultants of Maui, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jul 2006 | Cessna 177B | Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States | Anderson Aviation, Inc. | Fatal | 2 |