Gyro down, pilot wet

[gyroplanes]

This accident was on the FAA site and listed as an unregistered ultralight. I found the details in the Toledo Blade newspaper

Article published Sunday, October 8, 2006

Point Place man crashes small aircraft into river


A Point Place man who was flying a small experimental aircraft yesterday afternoon crashed into the Ottawa River when he flew too close to the surface.

Joe Cothern, of 5162 Ottawa River Road, was piloting the aircraft near his waterfront home when it crashed. He was not injured.

Mr. Cothern said he was flying for the first time yesterday a "gyrocopter" aircraft he built himself.

The crash occurred at 2 p.m. on the river near the intersection of Engel Boulevard and Shoreland Avenue.

"It was totally pilot error," Mr. Cothern said. "I was upside-down in the water and my seat buckle was fastened."

Witnesses said Mr. Cothern dipped to one side and flipped over on the water when a propeller struck the water surface. Mr. Cothern waded away from the submerged wreckage and was picked up by a boater.

"He was doing a touch and go on the surface and it looked like he got too close," said George Sommerfield, who saw the crash from the shore.

[automan1223]

I hope this gyro was in fact on floats ........



Jonathan

[JRB549]

Another selftaught pilot that makes our aircrafts look bad. One way to look at it,he got his crashing over with matbe he will now take lesson because he's alive to make a smarter choice.

[Racer]

Hello, New to Gyro's and taking lessons before I even start mine up. The waiting is the hardest part but I do not want to end up like this guy, I want to enjoy more than just one flight.

[ben]

jr who gives lessons on floats ????????? lol lol

[gyroplanes]

OOPS ! I read several newspaper articles and posted this one because it gave the most details, except for one. The gyro was on floats.

In the other article it said he had taken off from the water and was going to land when he touched down sideways and the gyro tipped. I suppose that accounts for the "propeller" in the water in this article.

There is a guy north of that area that sells gyro kits and claims to be flying successfully on floats. This could be one of his customers???

[Rando]

Originally Posted by gyroplanes

There is a guy north of that area that sells gyro kits and claims to be flying successfully on floats. This could be one of his customers???

http://3dmachiningllc.com/assembly.htm

[Rando]

I just got off the phone with Dan Grochowski, the President of Sky Tec (who DOES fly his float equipped gyroplane off water on a regular basis). I asked him to get on the Forum and post his comments about what happened to his customer. He is extremely busy with his business but will make an effort.

Basically it boils down to pilot error. The customer was told to get proper training but decided he knew better and tried to learn on his own!

[gyrofly]

Why did that even make the news? People crash on mopeds and jetskis everyday.
Hopefully live and you will learn...Lessons can and do help save life and money. Not that I am a real gyro pilot yet but I have engaged in other potentially dangerous activities without what would be considered adequate training. Always have to think what if....

Gyros by nature of being homegrown and being a very inexpensive way to experience flight by not having all the cost associated with GA aircraft as such and coupled with the fact that there is no real standardized training programs/methods/ syllabus available, does require the pilot to maintain a high degree of personal caution and awareness at all times.
______________
Ron Dupont

[Timchick]

Rando,
How much does his kits cost? Didn't see any prices on their web site.

[Rando]

I am not sure of the price but I really like his gyroplane, which is based on the Bumblebee, Gyrobee, Honeybee, etc.. I would suggest you give him a call or email him for more information.

[rtfm]

Originally Posted by Rando

I am not sure of the price but I really like his gyroplane, which is based on the Bumblebee, Gyrobee, Honeybee, etc..

Extremely HTL, no H-stab... What's to like?

Duncan

[Timchick]

If you look close it does look like there's a small hstab towards the front on the fixed part of the tail. It does look very HTL.

[Hognose]

Why did that even make the news? People crash on mopeds and jetskis everyday.

Ron, as a once and (probably) future news writer I can answer your question. In fact, you answered yourself. Foolish action leads to crash on jetski: routine. Foolish action does likewise in aircraft: peculiar. News is by definition that which is odd, or at least not routine.

In either case, if someone is hurt seriously or killed it makes the news, too. At least with aircraft, the guy pranging usually isn't three sheets to the wind.

Unfortunately, the mainstream media has very, very little positive coverage of general aviation, especially sport aviation. It's too small of a minority to get a lot of attention, until a gyro winds up in the drink, rotors down.

I'm glad that this guy is OK. He has learnt, I hope, an expensive and frightening lesson. Teaching yourself to fly was one thing when it was the only way into the air. "Opfer müssen gebracht werden!" ("Sacrifices must be made"), as Lilenthal said on his way to eternity. Nowadays, though, there are safe and sane ways to learn from the guy before you's mistakes and not wind up like Lilenthal.

Randy, thanks for posting the info on Sky-Tec. I was making a list of gyro makers and did not have him listed.

cheers

-=K=-

[Rando]

Originally Posted by Timchick

It does look very HTL.

Looks can be deceiving. The basic geometry of the Sky-Tec gyroplane is based on the BumbleBee/GyroBee, a very proven and stable gyroplane. That photo is of an earlier version of the Sky-Tec and he does have a very adequate horizontal stabilizer on his gyroplanes. Dan is an amazing individual and I wish someone could do a story about him and his rotorcraft projects. If I could write like Hognose, I would do it myself! If anyone lives within a few hours of Dan, I would highly recommend you contact him and set up a visit. You won't be disappointed!