Silverlight AR-1 N261MD

Summary

On 16 December 2020 at about 21:17 local time, a Silverlight AR-1 registered N261MD was involved in an accident near Heber City, Utah, 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

16 December 2020 at 21:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Heber City, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Heber Valley Airport (HCR)

Coordinates

40.4829, -111.4293

Aircraft

Silverlight AR-1

Registration

N261MD

Category

Gyrocraft

Year built

2020

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR21LA070

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to follow the procedures for takeoff in the Pilot Operating Handbook, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with the terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to receive additional training in the gyroplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot conducted a takeoff after receiving systems familiarization from an experienced gyroplane pilot, who was not a certified flight instructor. The system familiarization included procedures on how to operate the gyroplane on the ground and in flight. According to the pilot’s, medical records, his weight was close to but less than the minimum weight indicated in the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) for the front seat occupant. Recorded engine data indicated that the pilot applied 100% power to the engine during the takeoff, which he maintained for the duration of the flight. A security video recording showed that, shortly after liftoff, the gyroplane pitched nose-up and down multiple times, followed by an abrupt nose-up attitude and an abrupt gain in altitude. About 3 seconds later the gyroplane banked right. Shortly after the right turn, the gyroplane began to descend and rotated about the vertical axis. The gyroplane then pitched nose down and impacted terrain. The POH stated that maximum power at minimum takeoff weight can cause an abrupt climb rate and recommended 80% power when being operated by a pilot at the minimum weight. The POH also warned against any maneuver resulting in a low-G (near weightless) condition and stated that it could result in a catastrophic loss of lateral roll control in conjunction with rapid main rotor RPM decrease. The noted effects of these POH warnings are consistent with the gyroplane’s maneuvers captured on the security video. The employee of the gyroplane manufacturer who conducted the flight training with the accident pilot reported that during training, he had issues with excessive power applications and over-controlling the gyroplane. He reported that the pilot needed additional transition time and training in the gyroplane. The employee offered the pilot additional training, but the pilot declined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.