Autogyro MTO SPORT N455WM

Summary

On 3 November 2020 at about 19:41 local time, a Autogyro MTO SPORT registered N455WM was involved in an accident near Whitewater, Kansas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 November 2020 at 19:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Whitewater, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Mcmaster Gliderport (29KS)

Coordinates

37.9343, -97.0695

Aircraft

Autogyro MTO SPORT

Registration

N455WM

Category

Gyrocraft

Year built

2011

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wichita → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC21LA004

2 people died.

A loss of control for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the gyroplane was conducting a personal flight with one passenger. A witness about 6 miles from the accident site saw the gyroplane flying about 300 ft above ground level and stated that the engine sounded normal. Shortly thereafter, a local landowner observed smoke originating from a field and notified local authorities. There were no witnesses to the accident. The gyroplane was found nose-down in a field with the forward fuselage buried about 2 feet below the field’s surface, and the airframe was mostly consumed by a postcrash fire. A postaccident examination of the gyroplane revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation; however, the examination was limited due to extensive thermal damage to the airframe and engine. While diminished reaction times and flying performance could occur from the pilot’s use of the sedating medication, diphenhydramine (as indicated by toxicology results), there was no blood concentration available. Therefore, whether the pilot was impaired by diphenhydramine at the time of the accident could not be determined. The gyroplane’s high-energy impact with the field is consistent with a loss of control; however, the reason for the loss of control could not be determined based on the available evidence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.