ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 239849
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| Date: | Tuesday 11 August 2020 |
| Time: | 07:15 LT |
| Type: |  Rotorsport UK MTOSport 2017 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N615MW |
| MSN: | RSUK-M01704 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2019 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 183 hours |
| Engine model: | Rotax 912UL |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Springfield Robertson County Airport (M91), Springfield, TN -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Springfield, TN (M91) |
| Nashville-John C. Tune Airport, TN (KJWN) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot conducted an intersection takeoff with the gyroplane loaded near its maximum gross weight. The pilot stated he lifted off at 45 knots and accelerated "in ground effect" in an attempt to reach his planned climb speed of 55 knots, but the gyroplane would not accelerate past 48 knots. Data from an onboard GPS navigation device revealed that, in calm winds, the gyroplane reached a maximum groundspeed of 40 knots.
Although the gyrocopter was only about 10 ft above the ground (agl) where, based on the pilot's performance planning, it should have been 50 ft agl, and sufficient runway and turf overrun were available to abort the takeoff, the pilot chose to continue the takeoff. As the gyroplane approached the airport boundary, it was neither climbing nor accelerating. Due to obstacles beyond the airport's boundary, the pilot performed a forced landing between the airport boundary fence and the road. The gyroplane landed hard and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.
Despite the pilot having completed detailed weight and balance and performance-planning calculations, the pilot continued the takeoff when the gyroplane failed to achieve its predicted performance by large margins. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the wreckage and a postaccident engine run revealed no anomalies with the gyrocopter. The reason the gyrocopter did not perform as expected could not be determined based on available evidence.
Probable Cause: The pilot's decision to continue the takeoff when the gyroplane's actual performance failed to match that predicted in his performance planning. Contributing to the accident was the gyrocopter's insufficient performance for reasons that could not be determined.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ERA20LA284
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Aug-2020 03:57 | Geno | Added |
| 12-Aug-2020 17:06 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative] |
| 08-Sep-2020 12:43 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Plane category] |
| 26-Sep-2022 19:14 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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