Raymond Z Brown CONDOR N41852

Summary

On 1 February 2016 at about 20:35 local time, a Raymond Z Brown CONDOR registered N41852 was involved in an accident near Centralia, Illinois, 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

1 February 2016 at 20:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Centralia, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Centralia Muni (ENL)

Coordinates

38.5247, -89.0903

Aircraft

Raymond Z Brown CONDOR

Registration

N41852

Category

Gyrocraft

Year built

2012

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Centralia → Centralia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA096

1 person died.

The failure of the prerotator belt, which impeded the engine's timing belt and resulted in a loss of engine power at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness observed the sport pilot departing in his experimental, amateur-built gyroplane when, about 300 ft above ground level, the gyroplane turned right and the rotor blades began to slow. The gyroplane then made a sharp left turn, descended, and abruptly pitched up before impacting a field. A postaccident examination of the gyroplane found that the belt driving the prerotator had broken and had become entangled in the engine timing belt, which would have resulted in a loss of engine power. No other anomalies were detected with the airframe and engine. An autopsy did not reveal any medical concerns with the pilot.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.