Mark O Treidel AMERICAN RANGER AR-1 N529MW

Summary

On 16 December 2025 at about 17:45 local time, a Mark O Treidel AMERICAN RANGER AR-1 registered N529MW was involved in an accident near Denver, Colorado, 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

16 December 2025 at 17:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Denver, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Colorado Air and Space Port Ai (CFO)

Coordinates

39.7842, -104.5376

Aircraft

Mark O Treidel AMERICAN RANGER AR-1

Registration

N529MW

Category

Gyrocraft

Year built

2017

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN26LA067

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to attain rotor RPM and maintain proper rotor disc angle during takeoff which resulted in a rotor strike with the rudder.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that it was a very windy day with winds above 20 mph and gusts to 30 mph when he attempted a takeoff in his gyroplane. He stated that during the takeoff roll with the pre-rotor engaged to 130 to140 RPM, he gently eased back on the cyclic and a gust of wind caught the rotors. He felt the rotor flap and then a bump. He immediately arrested the rotor flap and then continued the takeoff roll. When the gyroplane became airborne, he realized there was less rudder authority and returned to land at the departure airport without further incident. After landing, the pilot noticed that rudder had been damaged due to a rotor strike, which likely occurred when the rotor flapped during takeoff, resulting in substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot stated that he should have had the rotors pre-rotated to 160 RPM or greater prior to pulling back on the cyclic, and there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.