Bertram William J BERTRAM 2000 N115WB
21 July 2012 · Shiocton, Wisconsin, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 21 July 2012 at about 19:45 local time, a Bertram William J BERTRAM 2000 registered N115WB, operated by William J. Bertram, was involved in an accident near Shiocton, Wisconsin, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously 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 19:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Shiocton, Wisconsin, United States
- Nearest airport
- Shiocton (W34)
- Coordinates
- 44.4544, -88.5617
- Aircraft
- Bertram William J BERTRAM 2000
- Registration
- N115WB
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- William J. Bertram
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Schiocton → Schiocton
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN12CA464
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s distraction with taking photographs, which resulted in his failure to maintain sufficient altitude to avoid the guy wire.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of the gyrocopter reported that he was taking aerial photos of the airport. He stated he was flying toward the airport and trying to take photos when he realized he was getting too close to the airport. He initiated a turn downwind away from the airport at which time the gyrocopter lost altitude. The lower right side of the fuselage and the right landing gear strut contacted a guy wire attached to a utility pole alongside the highway that bordered the south side of the airport. The gyrocopter then descended, impacted terrain, and came to rest in a ditch alongside the highway, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical tail surfaces and the main rotor blades. The pilot stated that he was distracted by trying to use the camera and that he was not paying attention to the surroundings when the accident occurred.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Feb 2012 | Beechcraft 95-B55 | Lancaster, Wisconsin, United States | Dangberg Dennis | No injuries | - |
| 24 Nov 2012 | Scott IRONSIDES | East Troy, Wisconsin, United States | Ronald G. Scott | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 2012 | Lake LA4 | Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Aug 2012 | Fantasy Air ALLEGRO 2000 | Bear Creek, Wisconsin, United States | Peter Anderson | No injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 2012 | Robinson R44 II | Belgium, Wisconsin, United States | Sun Aero Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 2012 | Piper PA-22-150 | East Troy, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |