Cartercopters CARTERCOPTER N121CC

Summary

On 29 April 2001 at about 19:46 local time, a Cartercopters CARTERCOPTER registered N121CC was involved in an accident near Olney, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 April 2001 at 19:46

Classification

Accident

Location

Olney, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Olney Municipal (ONY)

Coordinates

33.3599, -98.7503

Aircraft

Cartercopters CARTERCOPTER

Registration

N121CC

Category

Gyrocraft

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Olney → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW01LA108

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff initial climb. Contributory factors were the pilot's lack of experience with the aircraft and the soft terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a test flight over the runway. The experimental prototype gyrocraft took off from the runway and flew approximately 2-3 feet above the ground. The pilot applied "right cyclic control" for drift correction while raising the collective approximately "6 degrees for climb." The pilot reported that at the same time the nose pitched up rapidly and rolled to the right. Corrective control inputs were applied to level the gyrocopter; however, it rolled left and over flew the edge of the runway. The pilot reduced the collective, and the aircraft touched down on the ground in a level attitude rolling approximately 25 mph. As the gyrocraft slowed to approximately 5 mph, the nose landing gear collapsed, the gyrocraft nosed down, and the main rotor blades contacted the ground and sustained structural damage. The pilot had accumulated 3,800 flight hours. This was the pilot's first flight in the accident aircraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.