History of Flight
On May 28, 2020, at approximately 1410 Pacific daylight time, a CSP Leasing Cavalon gyrocopter, registration N477AG, was destroyed in an accident near Roseburg, Oregon. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted as a personal operation under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The day before the accident, the pilot flew the gyrocopter from Petaluma, California, to Myrtle Creek Municipal Airport (16S) in Myrtle Creek, Oregon. The aircraft had recently been repaired following a previous accident the pilot had experienced in the summer of 2019. On the morning of the accident, the pilot added 15 gallons of ethanol-free fuel before departing for Shelton, Washington. He took off from 16S to the northwest about 1355, with a family member following by car.
Witness Accounts
A witness approximately 7 nautical miles north of 16S observed the gyrocopter flying over his property at an estimated altitude between 1,500 and 2,000 feet above ground level (agl). Shortly thereafter, he heard the engine splutter, followed by a loud noise as if something had detached from the aircraft. He reported that the aircraft tumbled out of the sky straight down before impacting terrain and catching fire.
A second witness, a retired military flight mechanic, reported hearing a helicopter noise that sounded abnormal. He looked up and saw parts coming off the aircraft at about 1,000 feet agl. He believed either the engine or transmission was coming apart. He stated that the tail boom broke off, swung forward, and struck the cockpit, causing an uncontrollable spin. The gyrocopter then impacted terrain in a 45° nose-down attitude.
Wreckage Examination
The accident site was located about 7 nautical miles north of 16S, at an elevation of approximately 1,158 feet mean sea level. The terrain consisted of medium rolling hills in a farming community. Most aircraft components were within the main wreckage site, with a few parts found about 75 yards uphill to the south. Those parts were photographed by law enforcement but were later disposed of by the landowner before they could be recovered.
Postaccident examination of the airframe revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A technical expert noted that the depth of the keel tube and rotor strike indicated an initial high rpm rotor impact. The angle of impact suggested an acute out-of-plane blade strike consistent with the rotor system being substantially unweighted. The expert stated that the rotor system on this aircraft is a self-regulating teetering hub. When the gyrocopter nosed over, the downward trajectory reduced forces on the rotor system. If this occurred over a sufficient period, the rotor could lose directional orientation and strike the keel tube.
Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by the State Medical Examiner's Office in Clackamas, Oregon, determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force traumatic injuries. Toxicology testing by the Department of State Police Forensic Laboratory identified propranolol and ethanol at 0.012 gm/dL in chest cavity blood. The FAA Forensic Laboratory also identified ethanol in cavity blood and propranolol in cavity blood and liver. Propranolol, a blood pressure medication, is not considered impairing. Ethanol, a central nervous system depressant, impairs judgment and psychomotor functioning at low doses. Federal Aviation Regulations prohibit acting as a crewmember with 0.040 gm/dL or more alcohol in the blood. Ethanol can also be produced postmortem. No personal pilot records were recovered.