Accident Details
On October 18, 2021, at about 1534 central daylight time, an AutoGyro Cavalon gyroplane, registration N419LB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stroud, Oklahoma. The pilot was fatally injured. The gyroplane was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
A witness reported that the pilot had purchased the gyroplane in January 2020 and was undergoing flight lessons. The pilot's first solo flight occurred two days before the accident. On the day of the accident, the witness observed the gyroplane positioned heading north on a 300-yard-long field. The wind was gusting from the south, creating a tailwind for the planned takeoff direction. The pilot applied full engine power and began the takeoff roll northward. The gyroplane never lifted off the ground and impacted a barbed wire fence at the end of the field. The witness proceeded to the accident site and saw that the pilot had been ejected from the gyroplane. The aircraft came to rest upright with the engine still running; the witness turned off the engine via cockpit controls after calling for help.
Pilot Information
The pilot's flight instructor reported that the pilot had accumulated about 20 total hours of flight training over the course of about one year. The pilot did not live locally to the training facility, so lessons were conducted in sessions with large gaps between them. The pilot's last flight lesson occurred about three months prior to the accident. According to the instructor, the pilot insisted on moving the gyroplane home to fly it more often. The instructor informed the pilot that he was not ready for solo flight and encouraged him to find another instructor for continued training. The pilot said he had an instructor "lined up" but did not specify who.
Weather Information
The nearest weather reporting station, located about 7 nautical miles northwest of the accident site, reported at the time of the accident wind from 160° at 8 knots, gusting to 17 knots.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The first identified point of impact was a barbed wire fence on the upslope side of an open field. About 100 feet beyond the fence were striations in the dirt consistent with rotor blade strikes. Approximately 25 feet farther, the gyroplane came to rest upright, parallel to the fence line.
All major components remained attached to the gyroplane. A large hole was observed in the front windscreen; otherwise, the cabin area remained mostly intact. The seatbelts were secured to the airframe but were not clasped. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit controls to their respective flight control surfaces. The rotor head was bent aft about 45°, and both rotor blades remained attached at the hub. One blade was bent down at the root, and the second blade was fractured and separated about midspan. The propeller blades on the engine remained attached at the hub; one blade was fractured at the root, and the other two were fractured about midspan. Propeller blade fragments were scattered throughout the debris field. Striations consistent with barbed wire fencing were noted along the left and right landing gear struts. A portion of wire was wedged at the top of the gear struts where they connect to the fuselage.
The AutoGyro Cavalon Pilot Operating Handbook states under Environmental Limitations: "Maximum tailwind component for take-off and landing…5 knots."
Medical and Toxicological Findings
The pilot did not hold a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certificate. The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy, which listed the cause of death as blunt force trauma and the manner of death as accident. The autopsy identified mild atherosclerotic disease of the coronary arteries and cerebral vasculature, and concentric heart muscle thickening with normal heart weight. No other significant natural disease was identified.
Toxicological testing by the medical examiner detected methamphetamine and its metabolite amphetamine in heart blood. The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified methamphetamine in urine and at 979 ng/mL in femoral blood; amphetamine in urine and at 75 ng/mL in femoral blood; phenylpropanolamine and pseudoephedrine in urine but not in femoral blood; delta-9-THC (THC) in urine and at 2.6 ng/mL in femoral blood; the THC metabolite 11-hydroxy-delta-9-THC in urine but not in femoral blood; the THC metabolite carboxy-delta-9-THC in urine and at 6.1 ng/mL in femoral blood; and tamsulosin in urine and femoral blood.
Methamphetamine and amphetamine are central nervous system stimulants, scheduled as DEA Schedule II controlled substances, with warnings against use during hazardous activities. THC is the primary psychoactive chemical in cannabis and is considered unsuitable for flying by the FAA. Tamsulosin is a medication typically used for urinary symptoms.