Parsons TWO PLACE #1 N446PS
8 December 2019 · Naguabo, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 8 December 2019 at about 18:05 local time, a Parsons TWO PLACE #1 registered N446PS was involved in an accident near Naguabo, United States. One person was on board and 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.
The record
- Date
- at 18:05
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Naguabo, United States
- Coordinates
- 18.2408, -65.6969
- Aircraft
- Parsons TWO PLACE #1
- Registration
- N446PS
- Category
- Gyrocraft
- Year built
- 2013
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Ceiba → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA20LA051
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
A failure of the rudder attachment bolt, which resulted in the rudder’s subsequent inflight separation from the fuselage.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
About 10 minutes after departure while in cruise flight at 55-60 mph, the pilot began to feel a vibration in the airframe and an "abnormal drag." He reduced the engine power, and about that time, he felt the propeller sever the rudder cables. As he looked back, he saw the rudder separate from the airframe and the gyroplane began to spin. The pilot shut down the engine to reduce the torque and attempted to maintain control as the gyroplane rapidly descended until it impacted the ground. The fuselage and main rotor blades were substantially damaged during the accident sequence. An examination of photographs of the fractured bolt section that attached the rudder to the fuselage revealed that the bolt likely fractured as a result of reverse bending fatigue.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Mar 2019 | Bombardier CL 600 2C10 | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | PSA Airlines, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 May 2019 | Elmwood CHRISTAVIA MK I | Roseburg, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Aug 2019 | Piper PA28 | Miami, Florida, United States | Osorio Aviation Corp | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 2019 | Beechcraft 35 | Fort Myers, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Nov 2019 | Beechcraft 55 | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | Bhl Aviation Llc | No injuries | - |
| 11 Mar 2019 | Boeing 737 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Delta Air Lines | No injuries | - |