Rotorsport Uk CAVALON N157P

Summary

On 20 March 2025 at about 20:02 local time, a Rotorsport Uk CAVALON registered N157P was involved in an accident near Murrieta, California, 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

20 March 2025 at 20:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Murrieta, California, United States

Nearest airport

French Valley Airport (F70)

Coordinates

33.5754, -117.1300

Aircraft

Rotorsport Uk CAVALON

Registration

N157P

Category

Gyrocraft

Year built

2023

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chino → Murrieta

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR25LA115

1 person had minor injuries.

The student pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during an approach and subsequent descent into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot’s failure to perform a go-around maneuver.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot reported that she was on a solo cross-country flight and had entered the airport traffic pattern. While on the base leg, she slowed the gyroplane to follow an airplane that was established on final approach. She then turned final after the airplane had landed, however, the airplane did not exit the runway as she had anticipated. She slowed the gyroplane further and allowed a “slow vertical descent” for additional spacing from the airplane. The pilot then noticed that she had allowed the airspeed and altitude to decay. She attempted to recover by applying full throttle, however, the gyroplane turned right into a grass area and impacted terrain about 250 ft from the approach end of the runway. The rotor blades, fuselage, keel, and rudder were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.