Erickson Larry D RAF 2000 GT N315LK

Summary

On 9 August 2015 at about 23:55 local time, a Erickson Larry D RAF 2000 GT registered N315LK, operated by Erickson Larry D, was involved in an accident near Humboldt, Iowa, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 August 2015 at 23:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Humboldt, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

42.7547, -94.1986

Aircraft

Erickson Larry D RAF 2000 GT

Registration

N315LK

Category

Gyrocraft

Year built

2012

Engines

1

Operator

Erickson Larry D

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Humboldt → Humboldt

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15LA344

1 person died.

The pilot’s loss of gyroplane control while maneuvering at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The sport pilot and passenger were on a local flight in the gyroplane. The passenger reported that, after about 30 minutes of flight, the pilot made a low-altitude pass over the passenger's home. The gyroplane started to descend below the tallest trees on the property at a low-power setting, and as it approached the ground, the pilot rapidly increased engine power, likely to stop the descent. The gyroplane subsequently banked right and impacted a tree in the passenger's front yard. Postaccident examination of the gyroplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact failures, and no evidence was found indicating that the rotor blades struck the rudder or propeller blades.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.