Fatal gyro crash in Texas

[C. Beaty]

From FAA site:

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 94470 Make/Model: EXP Description: VORTEX ROTORCRAFT
Date: 04/19/2008 Time: 2249

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Minor

LOCATION
City: BERCLAIR State: TX Country: US

DESCRIPTION
EXPERIMENTAL ROTOCRAFT ON DEPARTURE, CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, 1
FATAL, BERCLAIR, TX

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: UNK

OTHER DATA
Activity: Pleasure Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER


FAA FSDO: SAN ANTONIO, TX (SW17) Entry date: 04/21/2008

[Fl90]

Damage: Minor???

[gyroplanes]

Not much to be found about the crash or victim.

A South Texas man is dead after a helicopter crashes in Goliad.
The Goliad County Sheriff says the aircraft went down Saturday evening at the Goliad County Airport, near the town of Berclair.
When officers arrived, they found the body of 68-year old Gary Blevens.
Blevins is from Mathis.
He was the only person on board.
An investigation is underway to determine how the crash happened.

[PW_Plack]

Vortex? With two aboard? Must not be the Sport Copter single-place model...

[Rando]

Vortex? With two aboard? Must not be the Sport Copter single-place model..."He was the only person on board."

[enewbold]

From the Victoria Advocate
http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/793/story/232591.html

Man dies in helicopter crash at the Goliad County Airport

A 67-year-old Mathis man died following a helicopter crash Saturday at the Goliad County Airport.

The Goliad County Sheriff’s office got a call about 5:49 pm. from someone believed to be the wife of the pilot, Gary Blevins, 67.

“She called it in that a small gyro helicopter was down at runway three,” Goliad County Sheriff Robert De La Garza said. “When we ran our check, the aircraft came back to a 2007 vortex rotorcraft.”

The caller reported the aircraft was on the runway in pieces, and she did not see any movement. She did not want to approach the aircraft until deputies could get to the scene.

----------------------------------------------

This is very saddening, especially since it appears the man's wife probably witnessed the event. My heart goes out to her.

[Rehan K.Janjua]

Very Sad indeed.

My heart felt condolences to the family and friends.

[barnstorm2]

my condolences

[scott heger]

This is very sad,my condolences to his family.

Some things don't add up
Serial #056, built in 2007? Mine is serial #054, built in 1999.
Aircraft owner has no listed FAA medical/student or pilots license.
I am jumping to conclusions, but if no one in this gyro community is familiar with him,this might be a self training accident.....

Scott Heger, Laguna Niguel,Ca N86SH

[Friendly]

It is so sad indeed. Did he belong to any of the Texas Clubs? May his family and love ones find support in this time.

[PW_Plack]

Oops...mis-read the fields in the NTSB report. Thought it said one serious, one fatal. Thanks, Rando.

Scott, mine is serial #5, not completed yet. I bought mine out of an estate sale after it sat for years, but many completed planes in the EAA mags were built over 10 years or more. Nothing inconsistent.

[scott heger]

Paul,I understand. This is not the space shuttle in complexity to build. I was just pointing out the facts regarding the age of the kit. Does a Rotax 582 circa 1999(not a blue head) need the engine crank seals changed due to age prior to using?

Scott Heger,Laguna Niguel,Ca N86SH

[PW_Plack]

Scott, could be, but some early kit buyers wound up with blueheads by the time they got all their parts. (I did.) Hard to know.

[Tina]

Has anyone heard anymore on this crash?

I called the Airport Manager and he said it is still under investigation with the FAA. He did hear rumors but did not want to go on record as facts but to say that he heard this pilot did get training but in another state. He also said the pilots wife was not to happy about him being out there that day trying to fly that gyro. The pilot did not crash on the runway so damage to the runway. I think that is why the FAA report said minor damage. He said the pilot crashed off to the side of the runway and the machine was in many pieces.

My condolences to the family in this tragic accident.

[ToddP]

I received the following e-mail today:

Thank you so much to those who have sent their condolences for the death of Gary Blevens. My name is Robin Crisp, his youngest daughter. Number six in line. Not sure if this is where i need to email in. Just a couple things for now. My dad searched all his life for the one thing that gave him a thrill. He loved to fly. He would often go to his big garage/hanger and just sit in his gyro and start it up. He died doing what he loved. He is and will be greatly missed. He was a great man. Robin Crisp

[Trez]

I received the following e-mail today:

Thank you so much to those who have sent their condolences for the death of Gary Blevens. My name is Robin Crisp, his youngest daughter. Number six in line. Not sure if this is where i need to email in. Just a couple things for now. My dad searched all his life for the one thing that gave him a thrill. He loved to fly. He would often go to his big garage/hanger and just sit in his gyro and start it up. He died doing what he loved. He is and will be greatly missed. He was a great man. Robin Crisp


"He died doing what he loved. He is and will be greatly missed. He was a great man."
How many of us hope as much can be said of us.
You know how kindred spirits such as we feel about one of our own losing the continued thrill of flight, but losing his life with his family as well.
But your words are far more eloquent than any I could say.
God Bless you and all your family......
Trez
************************

[Resasi]

May your father rest in peace Robin and the condolances of us all to the family.