Pitcairn PA 18 N12680

Summary

On 18 November 2016 at about 22:30 local time, a Pitcairn PA 18 registered N12680 was involved in an accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 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.

Date

18 November 2016 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Northeast Philadelphia (PNE)

Coordinates

40.0819, -75.0106

Aircraft

Pitcairn PA 18

Registration

N12680

Category

Gyrocraft

Year built

1932

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Philadelphia → Philadelphia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA092

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to correct the gyroplane’s right roll during the landing, which resulted in the exceedance of its critical angle and a subsequent roll-over. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s focus on preventing a potential ground loop instead of a roll-over and his lack of experience in the gyroplane model.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped gyroplane, he landed on the right main landing gear. The gyroplane began rolling to the right, but the gyroplane's heading was aligned to the left of the runway heading and continued in a left direction of travel. He attempted to correct the gyroplane's right roll by moving the control stick to the left; however, the aileron movement did not subside the roll. He reported that in hindsight, opening the throttle and applying right rudder may have subsided the roll, "but my mental preparedness was biased to preventing a ground loop, not a dynamic rollover." The gyroplane continued to roll right and impacted the ground. The gyroplane came to rest on the runway and sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system, right wing, and the empennage. The pilot reported that his lack of experience in the gyroplane model contributed to the accident because the critical angle was exceeded in this gyroplane more quickly than in other gyroplanes that he was accustomed to flying. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.