RAF 2000? Crash In North Texas

http://www.nbc5i.com/news/14945672/detail.html

I believe I met this guy earlier this year....

Sad.

My stomach is sick, I hate to see this happen again, I feel so bad for the family's. One of the fatalities was a 9 year old, How sad....really sad

Very sorry to hear - especially about the kid.

A search for Daniel Dase yields the following result:
______________________________________________________

FAA Registry
N-Number Inquiry Results
N136DG is Assigned

Aircraft Description

Serial Number H2-03-14-563 Type Registration Individual
Manufacturer Name ALTHOUSE GERALD D Certificate Issue Date 09/11/2006
Model RAF 2000 GTX Status Valid
Type Aircraft Rotorcraft Type Engine Reciprocating
Pending Number Change None Dealer No
Date Change Authorized None Mode S Code 50110715
MFR Year 2005 Fractional Owner NO



Registered Owner

Name DASE DANIEL A
Street 6458 SUMAC RD
City FORT WORTH State TEXAS Zip Code 76116-8131
County TARRANT
Country UNITED STATES



Airworthiness

Engine Manufacturer SUBARU Classification Experimental
Engine Model ALL MDLS A/B Category Amateur Built

A/W Date 06/06/2006
________________________________________________________________

Unfortuneatley, I was correct, I met this gentleman March 3, 2007. It was @ our neighbors pancake fly-in. N136DG

i took about 30 pics in march, it is a 2.2 FI it was a very good looking gyro, i watched it on the news and the video said the ground witnesses reported hearing a wop-wop before it crashed.....

PPO ?

I believe this is the gyro that is in many of the slides in the Repairman's Certificate Course that Dr. Robert Stark gives.
One thing I felt was odd and I even asked about it in class was it had it's horizontal stab mounted on the mast, Not near the tail by the rudder.

I'm not about that but I will ask Bob tommorow, I posted the rest of the Pics I had taken to the Club site....
http://www.txrotorcraft.org/Bryan/N136DG

Here’s the victim’s personal data from the forum:

Total Flight Time:
8000
Aircraft:
BE35 & RAF2000
Real Name:
Dan Dase
Location:
Fort Worth, Tx
Ratings:
COMM, SEL, MEL, INST, CFI
Occupation:
Insurance Agent
Primary Airport:
FWS

Racer said:

I believe this is the gyro that is in many of the slides in the Repairman's Certificate Course that Dr. Robert Stark gives.
One thing I felt was odd and I even asked about it in class was it had it's horizontal stab mounted on the mast, Not near the tail by the rudder.

Click to expand...

Very sorry to hear. The mast mounted stab-looking thing is a Stabilator. It's a trim device not a stab.

Much sadness.
Dave's Solo and a news picture.

Another stabless RAF 2000...

How many more, before something is done ???

Obviously trained user...



Why must a 9 year old kid die.

Dan Dase
Junior Member

Last Activity: 07-23-2007 06:02 AM
Join Date: 12-19-2006



He just lurked, never posted...

Never had time or desire to investigate the RAF stability
issues here on the forum...

http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=151409&postcount=152

My condolences to the families. I sure hope the cause of this disaster can be determined.

I've tried clicking on that site in Post #1 and I get a window stating that site has performed an illegal operation and then shuts down my 'puter.

I would appreciate it if someone could copy and paste the story here, then I could read it....Thanks in advance.


Cheers

Here you go Harry.

TARRANT COUNTY, Texas -- Two people died after a homemade gyrocopter crashed in southwest Tarrant County late Saturday morning.

The gyrocopter, a homemade rotary-blade aircraft, crashed on the Bass family property just south of Benbrook Lake near FM 1187 and FM 2331, authorities said.

It took off from Spinx Airport and crashed just after 11:30 a.m. The owner of the gyrocopter, 52-year-old Daniel Dase of Fort Worth, and 9-year-old Caleb Hays from St. Louis, Mo., died in the crash.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Cal Cleveland said investigators do not know what caused the crash. The agency is gathering information and conducting and investigation, he said. "We'll be contacting people who may be related to this flight and asking questions, so we don't have enough information to make a determination at this point," Cleveland said.

Because the crash involved a homemade aircraft, the FAA is investigating the incident.

He just lurked, never posted...

Never had time or desire to investigate the RAF stability
issues here on the forum...

Maybe he believed there was no stability issues due to his training?

I saw the report on our local news last night. This is very sad.... I have to look at my twin 9 year old girls and think that could have been either one of them. When I heard the report and they showed the pictures I knew it was a RAF.

My heart goes out to the families that are now without their loved ones......

FLY SAFE,

Here is another photo.


Looks like the tail 'could' have been cut off.

This looks like it might have been taken after the one Arnie posted.

Note the C shape of the rotors.


----------------------
"It went down in clear skies and fair weather," Grisham said. "A ranch foreman and his wife heard popping sounds overhead and then the impact. The victims were pronounced dead at the scene."

Bass family security officers took over the crime scene, Grisham said, until investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board could arrive.

The helicopter crashed in an open field about 11:30 a.m. about 400 yards from Windscott-Plover Road.

Dase owns a 2000 two-seat, 400-horsepower rotorcraft, according to federal aviation records. Sheriff's deputies could not provide details of the helicopter that crashed, and Grisham said its departure and destination points were unknown.
---------------------

400 HP???

Channel 11 thankfully claims it is a helicopter and even shows a photo a Bell ....

.
VERY sad.

.

a few more photos..

Anyone know if the PRA response team or anyone knowledgeable about gyros was consulted?

News reports indicated the wreckage was "hauled off" later in the day.

.

He obviously was a high time pilot, maybe he just didn't have enough training to fly the RAF 2000?

Lets hear from his instructor though before we come to any firm conclusions on this poor victims level of understanding of the RAF.