Bobby Martin AUTOGYRO MTO SPORT N3232Z

Summary

On 17 October 2015 at about 17:00 local time, a Bobby Martin AUTOGYRO MTO SPORT registered N3232Z was involved in an accident near Wallisville, Texas, United States. One person was 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.

Date

17 October 2015 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wallisville, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Chambers County (T00)

Coordinates

29.8011, -94.7097

Aircraft

Bobby Martin AUTOGYRO MTO SPORT

Registration

N3232Z

Category

Gyrocraft

Year built

2013

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wallisville → Wallisville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA015

Nobody was injured.

Fracture of the pusher propeller blade due to impact damage from an unknown object while in flight, which resulted in a severe vibration and a loss of thrust.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot departed in a gyroplane on a local sightseeing flight. About 30 minutes into the flight, at an altitude of about 250-300 ft above the ground, the pilot reported hearing and feeling something break loose behind him, located near the engine, followed by a severe vibration. The pilot reduced power, which reduced the vibration but resulted in the gyroplane descending. He added power again, but the gyroplane vibrated severely and did not regain performance. The pilot performed a forced landing into a swamp, where the gyroplane's right main landing gear sank and the gyroplane rolled over onto its right side. Postaccident examination of the pusher propeller showed that one of the three carbon fiber blades had split and come apart. Further examination of the propeller blade showed characteristics consistent with damage from impact with an object; however, no object that could have caused the impact damage was located. The examination did not reveal evidence of any other preimpact malfunctions or failures of the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.