Christopher John P CHR-1 N179TC
30 July 2009 · Norridgewock, Maine, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 30 July 2009 at about 22:00 local time, a Christopher John P CHR-1 registered N179TC, operated by Christopher John P, was involved in an accident near Norridgewock, Maine, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 22:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Norridgewock, Maine, United States
- Nearest airport
- Central Maine Airport (OWK)
- Coordinates
- 44.7094, -69.8597
- Aircraft
- Christopher John P CHR-1
- Registration
- N179TC
- Category
- Gyrocraft
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Christopher John P
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Norridgewock → Norridgewock
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- ERA09LA438
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to a broken crankshaft for undetermined reasons.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of the gyroplane stated that after takeoff he climbed to pattern altitude and, while on downwind and abeam the runway numbers, he heard a “pop and then experienced a terrible, violent vibration, seemingly catastrophic in nature. There was no power, but the engine was still running.” As he was conducting a forced landing in rough terrain, the wheel and then the main rotor dug into the ground, causing the ship to roll onto its side. The main rotor, mast, landing gear, and horizontal stabilizer sustained damage. Further examination by the pilot revealed that the engine crankshaft was broken near the No. 1 cylinder. The pistons of the non-certified engine had been replaced about 10 operational hours earlier.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct 2009 | Schweizer 269C-1 | Lewiston, Maine, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 2009 | Cessna U206F | Islesboro, Maine, United States | Waters Aero Marine Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 2009 | Maule M7 | Turner, Maine, United States | Tamilyn Slowey | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 Apr 2009 | Cessna 172 | Greenville, Maine, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 2009 | Boeing A75N1 | Livermore Falls, Maine, United States | Smith Mark D | No injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 2009 | Eurocopter EC130 | Deer Isle, Maine, United States | Highland Helicopter (Isle of Man) Limited | Minor injuries | - |