History of Flight
On August 19, 2019, at approximately 1834 central daylight time, an experimental light-sport Sport Copter Vortex gyrocopter, registration N634SC, was destroyed in an accident in Viroqua, Wisconsin. The noncertificated pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The gyrocopter departed Viroqua Municipal Airport (Y51) around 1830. According to a family member, the pilot intended to practice taxi operations and become familiar with the aircraft's handling. A witness near the airport observed the gyrocopter become airborne, then turn and descend rapidly. Another witness heard the engine running, describing it as "sounded healthy," before it quit suddenly without sputtering. A third witness heard the impact and saw smoke rising from the field. First responders found the gyrocopter fully engulfed in fire.
Personnel Information
The pilot was issued a student pilot certificate on July 28, 2009, which expired on July 31, 2014. The most recent third-class Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate was issued on February 1, 1999, with a limitation requiring corrective lenses; it expired on February 28, 2001. No record of the pilot applying for BasicMed was found.
Review of the pilot's personal logbooks showed he first logged 1.5 hours in a gyrocopter on October 7, 2015. Subsequent logged hours were 4.5 hours in 2017, 9.0 hours in 2018, and 3.5 hours in 2019, for a total of 18.5 flight hours in gyrocopters.
Aircraft Information
The gyrocopter was first issued a special airworthiness certificate on September 11, 2004. Total flight hours at the time of the accident were not determined. The aircraft was powered by a Rotax 582 Mod 99 engine manufactured on August 20, 2002. No maintenance records were located.
Before the pilot's ownership, the gyrocopter was owned by a museum. According to the museum's sales director, the engine was never started and no maintenance was performed while in their possession. A photograph of the tachometer dated March 26, 2019, showed 122 hours. The engine appeared new with no bluing or discoloration on the exhaust.
The Rotax Aircraft Engines maintenance manual specifies that a 100-hour inspection should include inspection of cylinder heads, pistons, and piston rings, and that a general overhaul should be completed every 5 years or 300 hours, whichever comes first.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The gyrocopter impacted a field approximately 0.31 nautical miles west of the departure end of runway 29 at Y51. The debris field measured about 65 feet in length and was aligned on a magnetic heading of 336 degrees. The main rotor blade separated at the shaft near the hub and was among the first wreckage found in the ground scar. The flywheel contained dirt embedded on one side, consistent with a near-vertical impact with no rotor rotation.
Following the main rotor blade were separated pieces of fiberglass propeller, consistent with pieces separating during each rotation as the gyrocopter cartwheeled. The main wreckage came to rest against a row of corn and was largely consumed by a postimpact fire. The rudder remained attached at all points, and the rudder cables were unbroken from the control surface to the pedals, though movement could not be verified due to impact damage. The cabin structure was mostly consumed by fire. The frame exhibited multiple fractures consistent with impact damage, most with 45-degree shear lips indicative of overstress.
Engine examination revealed that the aft portion of the engine case was separated by about 6 inches due to impact. Two spark plugs were undamaged and confirmed tight before removal; the other two were fractured about half their length and found finger tight. Internal inspection showed the No. 2 piston deformed toward the forward edge of the cylinder with signs of high heat exposure. The No. 1 cylinder and piston were unremarkable. When the No. 2 cylinder was removed, the piston rings were seized with vertical scarring on one side. The engine case had circumferential scarring on both sides corresponding to the No. 1 bearing. The substance in all bearings was congealed, consistent with exposure to high heat.
Additional Information
The FAA Rotorcraft Flying Handbook advises that pilots must be thoroughly familiar with their aircraft's procedures and limitations and with factors affecting flight safety. It also states that knowledge of the gyroplane and its systems can help pilots handle emergencies and that many potential accidents can be avoided by understanding conditions that can lead to emergencies. The handbook includes a section on emergency approach and landing, noting that engine failures are possible and require planning and practice.