On 14 May 2016, a MILLS GREGORY T AIR COMMANDER LRT NO SERIES was involved in an aviation accident near Tybee Island, GA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to perform a touch-and-go on unsuitable terrain, which resulted in a loss of directional control and a rollover. This summary draws on records from NTSB.
During a touch-and-go on a sand bar, a gyroplane's nose wheel dug into soft sand. The pilot's attempt to steer left led to the wheel turning full left, causing the aircraft to roll onto its right side, damaging the rudder.
Incident Overview
A gyroplane sustained substantial damage to its rudder after it rolled over to the right during a touch-and-go maneuver on a sand bar. The pilot reported that the nose wheel began to dig into soft sand during the landing sequence.
Sequence of Events
The pilot initiated a touch-and-go on a sand bar. As the aircraft moved across the surface, the nose wheel started to sink into soft sand. In an effort to regain traction, the pilot turned the nose wheel to the left, aiming for firmer sand. However, the spring-loaded nose wheel dug deeper into the sand and abruptly turned to the full-left position. This caused the gyroplane to roll onto its right side, resulting in structural damage to the rudder.
Mechanical Issue
The pilot noted that the throttle quadrant friction-set screw had become loose during the flight. However, this mechanical discrepancy did not occur during the touch-and-go phase and was not related to the rollover incident.
Contributing factors
Causes
PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintainedDecision related to condition