History of Flight
On July 29, 2023, about 1227 central daylight time, a Rotorway 162F helicopter (N193AZ) and an ELA Eclipse 10 gyroplane (N221EL) collided in midair near Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Both aircraft were operating as personal flights under 14 CFR Part 91. The helicopter was destroyed; its pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The gyroplane was destroyed; its pilot and passenger received serious injuries.
Both pilots attended the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Ultralight/Homebuilt fun fly zone (FFZ) daily rotorcraft briefing that morning. A witness who attended multiple briefings reported that concerns about gyroplane operations were raised, and gyroplane pilots were told to stop performing 360° turns and spirals in the traffic pattern. Coordinators also repeated requests for pilots to communicate intentions.
GPS and ADS-B data show the gyroplane departed runway 36 at Wittman Regional Airport, traveled south, west, then north to enter the ultralight/homebuilt rotorcraft traffic pattern near Highway 26 and County Road N. The helicopter departed the designated rotorcraft takeoff and landing zone west of the ultralight/homebuilt runway and began a left circuit in the short traffic pattern.
About 35 seconds before impact, the gyroplane’s rear-seat passenger began recording with his cell phone. The gyroplane was on base leg from the south and initiated a 360° left turn. The helicopter, positioned behind the gyroplane, was also approaching on base leg from the south, following a north/south paved road.
A GoPro video from the helicopter shows the right-seat occupant flinching as the gyroplane’s undercarriage and right side, crossing left to right in a left bank, appear through the windscreen. Three-tenths of a second later, impact sounds occur. At impact, the helicopter was at zero roll angle, about 225 ft above ground level in a 200 ft-per-minute descent at 77 mph indicated airspeed, with engine instruments in the green range.
One witness reported seeing two helicopters ahead of the gyroplane—one on base leg to final, one on final—and observed the gyroplane make a hard 180° turn in the pattern over trees, which he thought was a go-around for spacing. He did not see the collision but heard a loud bang and saw debris falling.
Both aircraft descended near-vertically with debris separating. The helicopter impacted terrain inverted and caught fire. The gyroplane struck an unoccupied parked airplane between the road and runway 36L. No ground injuries occurred.
GPS data from the gyroplane showed that the day before the accident, the pilot performed a 360° turn near the northwest end of the ultralight/homebuilt runway.
Personnel Information
The helicopter pilot had attended and flown at the FFZ for several years, was respected by peers, assisted in daily briefings, and served as an air safety advisor. The gyroplane pilot, due to injuries, had no recollection of the flight; this was his first AirVenture flying his gyroplane. He had flown the accident gyroplane at the FFZ the previous day. The gyroplane passenger, seated in the rear, had not met the pilot before the flight and was on a demonstration flight. He reported the pilot performed an “impressive tight left turn” while coming in to land, but he was unaware of the reason for the turn.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Postaccident examination revealed the helicopter’s main rotor blades separated at outboard sections, showing impact marks and white paint transfer consistent with the gyroplane. The gyroplane’s right horizontal and vertical stabilizers displayed shear cuts and structure separation consistent with helicopter main rotor blade contact. The gyroplane’s main rotor mast was separated mid-length with impact signatures consistent with the helicopter’s main rotor blade. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were found in either aircraft.
Additional Information
The EAA AirVenture FFZ provides flight operations for powered parachutes, ultralight and light airplanes, and rotorcraft. Operations occur at a designated ultralight/homebuilt runway and rotorcraft landing zone. Flight operations are divided by time periods for similar aircraft performance. Pilot briefings were held each morning, with required attendance.
During briefings, an information sheet was provided. Pilots were verbally instructed not to perform 360° turns for spacing, but to execute a side-step maneuver and another circuit. A visual map of a short traffic pattern was provided, implemented by an air boss who could decide when to transition from the longer pattern. Aircraft with radios typically announced positions and intentions.
Following the accident, EAA implemented changes: standardized briefings and traffic patterns for all FFZ operations (except powered-parachutes), standardized spotter locations, a sterile corridor for base leg traffic over the north/south paved road, and a 1-strike rule for non-conformance.
Flight Recorders
The NTSB Vehicle Recorder Division received video from a GoPro camera recovered from the helicopter and a cell phone video from the gyroplane passenger. Timing was correlated using impact time from each video aligned with GPS/ADS-B data showing the collision. A summary of recorded content was provided.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the helicopter pilot, performed by the Walworth County Medical Examiner, listed cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries, manner accidental. Toxicology testing by the FAA’s Forensic Sciences Laboratory found salicylic acid, metoprolol, rosuvastatin, and valsartan in the pilot’s blood and liver. These medications treat pain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and are not known to adversely affect performance.