Harris BRC 540C N540CX
20 October 2003 · Leesburg, Virginia, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 20 October 2003 at about 18:30 local time, a Harris BRC 540C registered N540CX was involved in an accident near Leesburg, Virginia, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 18:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Leesburg, Virginia, United States
- Nearest airport
- Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO)
- Coordinates
- 39.0781, -77.5575
- Aircraft
- Harris BRC 540C
- Registration
- N540CX
- Category
- Gyrocraft
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Leesburg → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC04LA015
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot in command's failure to maintain directional control and his inadvertent activation of the right rudder pedal.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The owner was neither rated nor current to fly the gyrocopter. The pilot was seated in the right seat, and the owner was seated in the left seat. The owner flew a left hand traffic pattern for the runway, and the pilot took control of the gyrocopter for touchdown. However, during the transition of control, the pilot's feet entangled in the rudder pedals. After touchdown, the gyrocopter began to drift right. The pilot attempted to correct the drift by depressing the left rudder pedal. However, the pilot accidentally depressed the owner's right rudder pedal, rather than his own left rudder pedal.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Nov 2003 | Northam RAF 2000 | Nelsonia, Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Jan 2003 | Cessna 172 | Chesapeake, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 2003 | Mooney M20R | Leesburg, Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 May 2003 | Cessna 140 | Suffolk, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 May 2003 | Boeing B767-300 | New Market, Virginia, United States | United Airlines | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Oct 2003 | Pfeifler EDGE-540 | Warrenton, Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |