Wiggins AIR BOSS N717EW

Summary

On 10 September 2012 at about 16:00 local time, a Wiggins AIR BOSS registered N717EW was involved in an accident near Lansing, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 September 2012 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lansing, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Lansing Municipal Airport (IGQ)

Coordinates

41.5222, -87.5278

Aircraft

Wiggins AIR BOSS

Registration

N717EW

Category

Gyrocraft

Year built

2012

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lansing → Lansing

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12FA619

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to obtain adequate familiarization with gyroplane operations before attempting a flight test of the recently completed gyroplane, which resulted in his failure to maintain control during the accident flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident occurred during a flight test of the experimental gyroplane. A witness reported seeing the gyroplane yaw nose left and roll right shortly after liftoff. The gyroplane then descended briefly before it rolled back to level and entered a climb. The gyroplane climbed to about 100 feet above the ground while continuing to fly on the runway heading before it yawed nose left again, entered a right roll, and descended rapidly into a cornfield south of the runway. Another witness reported that he heard the gyroplane's engine running until the gyroplane impacted terrain. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation of the gyroplane. The private pilot did not possess a rotorcraft rating; however, federal aviation regulations allow certificated pilots to operate experimental aircraft without an applicable category or class rating. A gyroplane flight instructor reported that he had provided the pilot 1.8 hours of familiarization training in another gyroplane more than 3 months before the accident. He added that the accident pilot told him that he had not flown in over 20 years. Additionally, no record was found indicating that the pilot received any flight training in gyroplanes subsequent to the familiarization training. It is likely that the pilot's overall lack of familiarity with the operation of gyroplanes resulted in his failure to maintain control during the accident flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.