Brupbacher Chris CB2000 N5002E

Summary

On 21 September 2014 at about 22:20 local time, a Brupbacher Chris CB2000 registered N5002E, operated by Mahler, Darren J., was involved in an accident near Reserve, Louisiana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 September 2014 at 22:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Reserve, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

St. John the Baptist Parish (1L0)

Coordinates

30.0690, -90.5593

Aircraft

Brupbacher Chris CB2000

Registration

N5002E

Category

Gyrocraft

Year built

2003

Engines

1

Operator

Mahler, Darren J.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Reserve → Reserve

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA508

2 people died.

The failure of the flight control rod bearing due to an undetected preexisting corrosion-induced crack, which resulted in the main rotor blades going to full pitch and the rotor mast folding; this allowed the pusher propeller to strike and sever the tail.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported observing the gyroplane take off from the runway, turn left onto the crosswind leg, and climb to about 200 ft. They then saw something fall off the gyroplane before it crashed into an adjacent canal and sank. Postaccident examination revealed that the flight control rod bearing stud exhibited extensive corrosion, consistent with the crack being present before impact. When the rod bearing failed, the main rotor blades went to full pitch, which placed an excessive load on the rotor mast. The rotor mast then folded, which allowed the pusher propeller to strike and sever the tail. The pilot had owned the airplane for 3 years; no records for the gyroplane were located.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.