Accident Overview
On November 16, 2013, at approximately 1315 central standard time, a Pearson Dragonfly amateur-built gyroplane, registration N975DF, collided with terrain near the Chambers County Airport (T00) in Anahuac, Texas. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries, and the gyroplane was destroyed. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight had originated from Anahuac about 1300.
Witness Accounts
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector's report, the gyroplane was in the airport traffic pattern. Witnesses observed the main rotor head separate while the aircraft was airborne. Subsequently, the gyroplane impacted the ground approximately one mile southwest of T00.
Maintenance Findings
Friends of the pilot and the mechanic who performed the last conditional inspection reported that the pilot-owner conducted the majority of the maintenance on the gyroplane and had recently installed a main rotor head bearing block. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the bearing block had been installed upside down. The mechanic noted that the bearing block was secured solely by friction. The pilot was not an FAA-certificated mechanic nor a certificated repairman.
Postmortem Examination
An autopsy performed on the pilot determined the cause of death as blunt force injuries.