RAF 2000? Crash In North Texas

Thanks Tim and Tim.

So right now, WE know nothing other than two witness' "heard popping' and then an impact. No eye witness.

We'll have to wait for official information.


Cheers
 
So right now, WE know nothing other than two witness' "heard popping' and then an impact. No eye witness.

From looking at the wreckage what else could it have been except a bunt Harry?

We'll have to wait for official information.

Yeh, just like all the " Official information " we got from all the other RAF crashes.......
 
The tail doesn't appear to be still attached. It could be there but just not visible in the photos. We'll have to wait for the preliminary findings to see if it was located away from the wreckage.
 
Thanks Tim and Tim.

So right now, WE know nothing other than two witness' "heard popping' and then an impact. No eye witness.

We'll have to wait for official information.
Cheers

The FAA reports will be good to look over, however, unless the PRA response team or some gyro-knowledgeable person is involved we can expect inaccuracies such as a "missing tail rotor".

We do have these news photos showing what looks pretty strongly to my uneducated eye as a PPO. We can see what 'appears' to be a separated tail (which matches the witness popping) and the coned blades indicate a great deal.

While not conclusive by any means it sure looks like very probably a PPO.

Another stabless RAF 2000...

How many more, before something is done ???

Obviously trained user...

:( :( :(

Why must a 9 year old kid die.

Yes, PPO seem to be the #1 killer of high-time pilots in unstable HTL gyroplanes.

"How many more, before something is done ???"

Well, in the UK you guys have already done something. You put out official information on the instability of the STOCK RAF and limited it's use.

For the rest of the world???

How many unstabbed RAFs are out there? That is your answer I suppose.

There is plenty of information about the dangers of unstable HTL gyros and the STOCK RAF. Only the RAF CFI's, and RAF community are saying anything different.

To stop this from happening the RAF Owners culture must change. Obviously they are not listening to the rest of the gyroplane community or the CAA. Why would he believe us, the PRA or the CAA when RAF CFI's and RAF web pages say HStabs are useless or are just an academic issue?


.
 
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Solo Event - Congratulations Dan Dase

On June 23rd,* Dan Dase of Fort Worth, TX (pictured below) soloed for the first time in his RAF-2000 at Clearance E. Page Airport (F29) in Oklahoma City, OK. Dan is an 8000+ hour airplane pilot who took his first gyroplane ride at Sun and Fun this year. He contacted Fun Air, LLC when he returned home to get a second opinion about flying gyroplanes. After his first flight he was not totally sure if he would like the gyroplane but once he had a second opportunity he fell in love with the machine.

After his check ride Dan decided he wanted to fly his gyroplane back to Spinks Airport (FWS), just south of Fort Worth. Now Dan had to remember before he started this journey of 210 miles that he was used to flying this course in his Bonanza at about 200 miles per hour; which was only about a one hour trip. He started his trip at 6:45 a.m. on July 15th in his RAF-2000. He made two stops enroute; one at Healdton, OK (F32) and the other at Decatur, TX (LUD). He completed his trip after flying 4.5 hours. When he called to say he made it safety to Spinks he still had that happy sound in his voice. It would take a significant amount of brillo-pad scrubbing to remove the smile that is on Dan’s face every time he flies his RAF-2000. Dan is a gyroplane convert that has put fun back into his flying career. We wish him well and safe flying.

*My guess would be June ’06 since that article was interposed between articles with similar ’06 dates.

http://rafpilots.com/whatsnew.htm
 

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I've contacted the NTSB and offered IRT assistance.

I feel very bad about the death of an innocent, and uninformed, 9 year old boy.

Jim Mayfield
 
a new gyro pilot flying a passenger ? a fixed wing pilot but a new gyro pilot a sad day indeed.
 
a new gyro pilot flying a passenger ? a fixed wing pilot but a new gyro pilot a sad day indeed.

He may or may not have been 'new'.

If he solo'ed in 06 he could have put alot of hours on the machine.

Legally, he can carry passengers so long as he passed the FAA check-ride.

For someone with his hours, in a stable gyroplane that would not be irresponsible.

However, this gyroplane was not stable and some may contend that no 'uninformed' passengers should be taken up in such a machine until the pilot has many hundreds of hours in model.

.
 
I don't care what ANY of you RAF supporters say anymore! It's a goddamn dangerous machine and I'm sick of hearing how "uninformed" or "improperly" trained these dead RAF pilots are! Adequately designed aircraft don't just unexpectedly KILL! These things are rat traps ready to spring. This time the damn thing took a child with it ! SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE!
Is it me,or whenever the piloting/accident header reads ''FATAL ACCIDENT IN----- , The first thing that comes to my mind is '' I'll bet it's another RAF"
Once again....Pitiful
 
Harry, I could'nt help but notice that you have a stab on yours. I monitor alot of other aircraft forums. Nowhere do I find more frequent deaths associated with one aircraft design like this one! None of these people had even a chance of seeing it coming! When it did, It was already too late. If I owned a particular aircraft that had an inherent tendency to kill with such little warning, I would'nt fly.
This would be a brutal, terrifying way to die. Harry, I don't want to see your name in the ''ACCIDENT/DISCUSSION'' area either.
 
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Dale:::

You are wasting your time with people such as Harry and Steve Osborne..

I don't care what ANY of you RAF supporters say anymore! It's a goddamn dangerous machine and I'm sick of hearing how "uninformed" or "improperly" trained these dead RAF pilots are! Adequately designed aircraft don't just unexpectedly KILL! These things are rat traps ready to spring. This time the damn thing took a child with it !


SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE!


These guys are doing something....they are defending it.
 
Bless the deceased, and their families in this time of loss.No doubt the pilot was just sharing the joy of flight with the child.
 
Sad just sad. Thats all I can say. My heart goes out to both families.

Me I think I will wait before I pass judgement on the cause of the accident untill we hear a little more. I remember about 6 - 8 months ago a RAF went down ( the Pleasant Frog ) ? and the post went from condolences to the family to a RAF PPO or PIO crash again within about 1 or 2 pages. In the end, after talking to witnesses on the ground, it turns out the pilot was doing Zoom climbs after take offs and killed is rotor speed. We all know that when that happens close to the ground, it doesn't matter what your flying, your in big trouble. So untill I see more then just a few pictures of the crash or the bio of pilot, maybe we should find a few good things to say about him, (photos, memories of personal conversations somebody had with him), and pass it on to his family.

Bob F
 
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maybe we should find a few good things to say about the pilot

I met Dan at Page airport when he was doing training (or check ride, I don't remember which) with Marty Weaver. He seemed like a very nice guy, like most gyro pilots are.

He was excited about getting into gyros.

He was also at one of our Oklahoma gyro group meetings where the subject was stability.

I did my dog an pony show (which is basically what's in the stability video) and then I was informed in no uncertain terms by Marty that I was full of crap, and then Marty presented the RAF definition of stability.

Dan seemed genuinely interested in understanding what was going on, but I didn't really think I influenced him enough to install a stab.

Can't say for sure, but it looks like he probably did not have a stab on his gyro.

We don't know for sure what caused this accident, but I think most thinking people would say having a stab would increase the odds that you will survive flying in a gyro.

No guarantees, but why for the love of god wouldn't you put one on? Especially if you're carrying passengers?

Why?..............because you've been told by someone who you accept as an authority that you don't need one.
 

No guarantees, but why for the love of god wouldn't you put one on? Especially if you're carrying passengers?

Why?..............because you've been told by someone who you accept as an authority that you don't need one.


Jeeses Krist, this just drives me crazy, how can this go on and on and on......

.....looking at the pictures of that poor guy so happy with his new toy and then watching CNN running the story all day long about the death of this poor man and a nine year old child is more than I can stand....

How can anyone possibly advise any student that a stock RAF is safe?????
 
I hope Marty is sleeping well tonight.
I am with you Chutter, Why on earth would anybody not invest a few hundred dollars on there $40,000+ machine to slow down the oscillations.
I can see no disadvantage of a horizontal stab..... none.
 
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