Christopher Lord ELA ECLIPSE 10 N533EA
5 May 2018 · Calhoun, Georgia, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 5 May 2018 at about 00:00 local time, a Christopher Lord ELA ECLIPSE 10 registered N533EA was involved in an accident near Calhoun, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. 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 00:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Calhoun, Georgia, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.4217, -84.9392
- Aircraft
- Christopher Lord ELA ECLIPSE 10
- Registration
- N533EA
- Category
- Gyrocraft
- Year built
- 2017
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Calhoun → Calhoun
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- GAA18CA273
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The student pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient airspeed, which resulted in a loss of altitude and necessitated a sudden descent to unsuitable terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The solo student gyroplane pilot reported that he "was flying behind the power curve," and the gyroplane lost altitude. He added that he couldn't tell if there were power lines ahead and decided to conduct a "hard vertical de[s]cent landing." The terrain was uneven, and the gyroplane rolled onto its side during landing. The student added that, before he decided to land, he got distracted for a few seconds and descended below a safe altitude. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the rotor, fuselage, and empennage. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jul 2018 | Piper PA28 | Thomaston, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jan 2018 | Bell OH 58C | Zebulon, Georgia, United States | Spalding County Sheriffs Office | No injuries | - |
| 28 Nov 2018 | Cirrus SR20 | Jasper, Georgia, United States | Aero Atlanta Flight Center | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 2018 | Cessna 182 | Swainsboro, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 18 Dec 2018 | Saberwing SABERWING | Adel, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Apr 2018 | Airbus A330 323 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Delta Air Lines | No injuries | - |