Accident Summary
On March 5, 2018, about 0935 eastern standard time, an experimental, amateur-built Autogyro Calidus gyroplane, N221YT, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during approach to Beaufort County Airport (ARW), Beaufort, South Carolina. The private pilot was fatally injured. The gyroplane was owned and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight, which departed ARW about 0932.
Witness Accounts
A witness who worked at the airport reported that the pilot transmitted on the CTAF that he was taking off on runway 25. The witness observed the gyroplane take off and climb to about 75 ft above ground level about halfway down the 3,434-ft-long runway. The climb appeared slow but normal. The witness heard another routine radio transmission at 0933. At 0937, the witness received a call that the gyroplane had crashed near the departure end of runway 25 at 0935. The caller reported that the gyroplane was low over a field, rolled inverted, and impacted a marsh.
Another witness, taxiing his airplane for takeoff on runway 7, heard the accident pilot announce on the CTAF that he was departing on runway 25 and returning to runway 7 with a simulated engine out. This witness estimated the gyroplane climbed to 300 to 500 ft above ground level before performing the maneuver. By the time his airplane reached the runway 7 threshold, the gyroplane had crashed. The witness stated it was possible the pilot did not obtain enough altitude for the maneuver.
A third witness, driving near the departure end of runway 25, saw the gyroplane climb and fly over a road, appearing straight. About 10 seconds later, it reversed direction and flew erratically back toward the runway, with the nose pitching up, down, left, and right. As it neared the runway, the nose pitched up, and the gyroplane rolled inverted and impacted the ground.
A fourth witness, sitting in a pickup truck in a department store parking lot adjacent to the airport, reported watching the gyroplane perform touch-and-go landings. He estimated four such landings over 15 to 20 minutes before the accident.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane, as well as a sport pilot certificate. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued September 13, 2017, at which time he reported 921 total hours of flight experience. Review of his logbook indicated about 944 total hours at the time of the accident, with about 91 hours in the accident gyroplane. He flew about 6 hours in the 30 days preceding the accident, all in the accident gyroplane, and 9 hours in the 90 days preceding, all but 1 hour in that gyroplane.
Aircraft Information
The two-seat tandem, fixed tricycle gear, composite gyroplane was assembled from a kit and issued an FAA experimental airworthiness certificate in 2015. It was powered by a Rotax 912ULS, 100-horsepower engine, equipped with an HTC three-blade, ground adjustable, composite pusher propeller and a two-blade aluminum rotor. The most recent condition inspection was completed April 22, 2017, at which time the airframe and engine had 183.5 total hours of operation.
Weather
The 0935 recorded weather at ARW included wind from 310° at 4 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, clear sky, temperature 12°C, dew point 4°C, and altimeter setting of 30.13 inches of mercury.
Wreckage Examination
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage, which came to rest on its right side north of the departure end of runway 25. No debris path was noted. The fiberglass cockpit and engine enclosures were destroyed. The nose section with nose landing gear attached had separated from the fuselage, but all associated cables remained attached. The main landing gear was partially collapsed. The tailboom was twisted and canted left, with its horizontal stabilizer bent upward. All three propeller blades were fractured. One main rotor blade separated from the hub and exhibited an approximate 90° upward bend near the blade root; the other remained attached but had separated near the blade tip. One fuel tank was breached; the other was intact and contained about 5 gallons of automotive fuel with no apparent contamination. The engine remained intact and attached to its mounts.
After recovery to a hangar, two FAA inspectors noted that due to the wreckage disposition, they could only rotate the propeller about 90°, but observed no binding and continuity through the engine. Flight controls consisted of push-pull tubes that sustained impact damage, but no evidence of a preaccident flight control discontinuity was found.
Autopsy and Toxicology
The Medical University of South Carolina performed an autopsy, noting the cause of death as blunt trauma to head and chest. The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory performed toxicological testing, which was negative for drugs and alcohol.