Lunceford SPARROWHAWK II N91814

Summary

On 27 July 2010 at about 15:05 local time, a Lunceford SPARROWHAWK II registered N91814 was involved in an accident near Tell City, Indiana, 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

27 July 2010 at 15:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Tell City, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Perry County Municipal Airport (KTEL)

Coordinates

38.0189, -86.6925

Aircraft

Lunceford SPARROWHAWK II

Registration

N91814

Category

Gyrocraft

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tell City → Tell City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN10LA442

1 person died.

The pilot's loss of control of the gyroplane for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The experimental amateur-built gyroplane was maneuvering in the traffic pattern when it descended into a heavily wooded area adjacent to the airport. There were no eyewitnesses to the final moments of the flight; however, several individuals reported hearing a sudden decrease in engine noise immediately before ground impact. There was limited damage to the dense overhead foliage at the accident site, consistent with a near-vertical descent path. The entire gyroplane was extensively damaged during a postaccident ground fire, which precluded the determination of any potential preimpact engine or flight control system malfunctions. Although the leading edge of the main rotor blades did not exhibit any appreciable impact damage, the damage to the engine propeller blades and nearby tree branches was consistent with engine rotation as the gyroplane descended vertically through the trees. The gyroplane's near-vertical descent through the trees and the minimal damage to the main rotor system was consistent with an aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.