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| Date: | Sunday 24 March 2024 |
| Time: | 14:10 |
| Type: |  AutoGyro MTOsport |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N291AG |
| MSN: | M01280 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2017 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Tavernaero Park Airport (FA81), Tavernier, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Tavernaero Park Airport, FL (FA81) |
| Tavernaero Park Airport, FL (FA81) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On March 24, 2024, about 1410 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built MTO Sport gryoplane, N291AG, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Tavernier, Florida. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The gyroplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The gyroplane was unable to maintain sufficient airspeed and altitude after takeoff, so the pilot attempted to “land like a helicopter” on a side road. While maneuvering to land, the wind blew the gyroplane backward and the tail section impacted a concrete fence. The gyroplane came to rest on its side and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported the winds were variable at 10 knots.
Postaccident examination of the engine and airframe did not reveal evidence of any mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Although the calculated relative humidity showed the possibility of carburetor icing at low power setting, the pilot had only operated the gyroplane for about six minutes before taking off, which likely was not a sufficient amount of time for carburetor icing to form. It is likely that shifting winds resulted in a tailwind during the takeoff, and the gyroplane did not have sufficient airspeed at liftoff to maintain flight.
Probable Cause: The gyroplane’s encounter with a tailwind during the initial climb, which resulted in a loss of airspeed and subsequent forced landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/small-plane-crashes-in-florida-with-2-people-on-board-deputies
https://wsvn.com/news/local/florida/ultralight-plane-crashes-in-tavernier-2-on-board-suffer-minor-injuries/
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193983
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Mar-2024 15:02 | aus | Added |
| 25-Mar-2024 15:03 | ASN | Updated [Cn, ] |
| 03-Apr-2024 21:43 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
| 05-Jan-2025 21:42 | Captain Adam | Updated [Source, Narrative, Photo, ] |
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