Charland VORTEX N618TC

Summary

On 23 December 2012 at about 21:27 local time, a Charland VORTEX registered N618TC was involved in an accident near Wellton, Arizona, 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

23 December 2012 at 21:27

Classification

Accident

Location

Wellton, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Private (none)

Coordinates

32.6589, -114.0072

Aircraft

Charland VORTEX

Registration

N618TC

Category

Gyrocraft

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wellton → Wellton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13FA074

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering in the traffic pattern.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings at a private airport. While in the traffic pattern, the gyrocopter collided with the terrain following a loss of control while the pilot was maneuvering at a low altitude. One witness saw the gyrocopter descending and impacting the ground nose first. Another stated that the gyrocopter and pilot performance were normal and unremarkable before the accident. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.