Barry Maggio APOLLO AG-1 N141C

Summary

On 6 May 2018 at about 19:10 local time, a Barry Maggio APOLLO AG-1 registered N141C was involved in an accident near Smith Beach, Virginia, 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.

Date

6 May 2018 at 19:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Smith Beach, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

37.3628, -75.9908

Aircraft

Barry Maggio APOLLO AG-1

Registration

N141C

Category

Gyrocraft

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Roanoke Rapids → Melfa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18TA142

1 person had minor injuries.

The noninstrument-rated pilot's inadequate preflight and in-flight weather planning, which resulted in an off-airport precautionary landing to avoid weather and a subsequent collision with power lines.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The noninstrument-rated private pilot of the experimental, amateur-built gyroplane reported that, during a cross-country, personal flight, as the flight neared the destination airport, the cloud ceiling began to lower very rapidly. He then decided to land at a private airstrip before the destination airport. He mistook a road for the private airstrip, and during the attempted landing, the gyroplane collided with power lines and sustained substantial fuselage damage. Examination of the gyroplane did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation nor did the pilot report any. The recorded weather at the destination airport included visibility of 1 3/4 miles in mist and overcast ceiling at 500 ft. The pilot used weather equipment onboard his gyroplane, but he did not receive a preflight weather briefing from flight service. It is likely that the pilot's failure to get a preflight weather briefing and his inadequate use of his onboard weather equipment led to his subsequent decision to conduct an off-airport landing and the subsequent collision with power lines.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.