Air Command 532 UNREG
7 April 1990 · El Paso, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 7 April 1990 at about 18:20 local time, a Air Command 532 registered UNREG, operated by Hittle, Carl E., was involved in an accident near El Paso, Texas, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 18:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- El Paso, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- West Texas (TX04)
- Coordinates
- 31.6405, -106.2700
- Aircraft
- Air Command 532
- Registration
- UNREG
- Category
- Gyrocraft
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Hittle, Carl E.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW90DQA01
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND ROTOR RPM. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUCTION AND EXPERIENCE IN ROTORCRAFT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
DURING TAKEOFF, THE GYROPLANE WAS SEEN CLIMBING IN A STEEP ATTITUDE, FOLLOWED BY OSCILLATIONS ABOUT THE LATERAL AXIS. THESE EXCURSIONS INCREASED IN SEVERITY AND THE ROTOR BLADE RPM DETERIORATED. AFTER ABOUT THREE OSCILLATIONS, THE GYROPLANE ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND TUMBLED TO THE GROUND FROM AN APPROXIMATE HEIGHT OF 125 FT. INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED EVIDENCE OF DOWNWARD ROTATIONAL FLAPPING MOTION OF THE ROTOR BLADES. CORRESPONDING IMPACT MARKS SHOWED THAT THE ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TIPS OF THE PROPELLER BLADES AND THE VERTICAL STABILIZER/RUDDER. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER/RUDDER HAD SEPARATED IN FLIGHT AND WAS FOUND ABOUT 75 FT FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE PILOT WAS NOT RATED IN GYROPLANES OR ROTORCRAFT; HE HAD RECEIVED 2 HOURS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION IN A GYROPLANE OVER SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT; HE HAD NOT BEEN ENDORSED FOR SOLO FLIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT AND SPEED PLACED IT IN THE CATEGORY OF AN AIRCRAFT, IT WAS NOT REGISTERED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Air Command 532 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jun 1990 | Air Command 532 | Rome, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jan 1990 | Air Command 532 | Munster, Indiana, United States | Sheimo, Julian A. | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Jul 1988 | Air Command 532 ELITE | Palmer, Alaska, United States | Harsh, Toni H. | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 1988 | Air Command 532 | Stormville, New York, United States | Bernard Wagner | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 1988 | Air Command 532E | Clearwater, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Jun 1987 | Air Command 532 | St.francisville, Louisiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Mar 1990 | Bell 206B | Pearland, Texas, United States | Houston Helicopter, Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Mar 1990 | Cessna 172G | Rio Hondo, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Mar 1990 | Beechcraft 100 | Uvalde, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Apr 1990 | Hughes H500C | Houston, Texas, United States | Mark R. Lancaster | No injuries | - |
| 15 Apr 1990 | Hughes 369HS | Junction, Texas, United States | Neveri, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 16 Apr 1990 | Cessna 152 | Albany, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |