Ela ELA10 N510EA

Summary

On 29 March 2026 at about 18:15 local time, a Ela ELA10 registered N510EA was involved in an accident near Boulder, Colorado, United States. 2 people were 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

29 March 2026 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Boulder, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Boulder Muni (BDU)

Coordinates

40.0394, -105.2261

Aircraft

Ela ELA10

Registration

N510EA

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

Route

Broomfield → Boulder

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN26LA152

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff in gusting wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that after an uneventful landing he applied full power to initiate a touch-and-go on runway 26. During the takeoff portion of the maneuver, the gyroplane began to drift to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the drift; however, each time the nosewheel lifted off the runway, the gyroplane continued to drift to the left. As the gyroplane continued to drift towards the runway edge, the pilot attempted to rotate the gyroplane to take off. The gyroplane tipped to the left and impacted the ground which resulted in substantial damage to the mast and empennage. Wind at the time of the accident was 280° at 10 knots gusting to 19 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.