Chris Lord October 31, 2018

Status
Not open for further replies.
Here is what I've posted in another thread, but it makes sense to have it here, primarily.
Below are my successive posts.


______
Preliminary consensus so far is that it was probably a mechanical issue, given Chris's piloting experience and the CTAF distress call just minutes after take-off

Witnesses said the aircraft was in some kind of distress before it clipped a power line then crashed into a mobile home in the Sebring Falls Retirement Subdivision.
https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news...ing/1562464299



One witness who posted on FB mentioned something that points to a control system failure:
I saw it and wondered what it was doing kept going around and around so sad


In the event of pitch/roll control failure (e.g., the push/pull cables) can the Cavalon trim system function as back-up control?
I haven't experience in that type, hence my question.





______
The audio I listened to had two Mayday calls separated by about 12 seconds, during which was power modulation.
This portion was present in the Channel 10 news link that Zzorse posted above.

After the second
"Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!" Lord says "Gyro--" and then a portion of the transmission was apparently redacted (probably the tail #),

After that redaction, at 12 seconds Lord seemed to say "...back, lean back! " and then about 1 second of redaction, followed by a grunting expletive at 17 seconds.

Then there is about 3 seconds of apparently more redaction, followed by about 2 seconds of indistinguishable voice which did not sound to me like Chris.

Then, about 4 seconds of silence followed by the tower's
"Where was that gyro that was reporting, uh, Mayday? "


______
Since the engine was heard in the audio, and also by local witnesses, that leaves a control or rotor system failure.

Had it been a control system failure (e.g., push/pull cables) a functioning pitch trim should have been able to compensate.

The nosedive at 200 AGL makes me wonder if N198LT didn't experience runaway nose-down pitch.

For example (and this I'm only speculating out loud here), if the
"Pneumatic cylinder brake/trim" somehow malfunctioned and went to "Brake" in flight,
the rotorhead would have been pitched forward, while simultaneously engaging the ring gear brake (decaying rotor RPM).

It seems unlikely that stick forces even by both occupants could have overcome such, but others here may have a better opinion on that.
This is only one scenario, and something else could have been the cause.

The impact and fire damage to the parts will make investigation very difficult, and I wouldn't expect any imminent conclusions by the NTSB.

Meanwhile, we must learn what lessons and caveats we can and bear on.

If there is some way to help the Lord and Brugger families through a donation fund, please post the link/details in this thread.


_______
From GoogleMaps I've pinpointed the exact mobile home of the crash site.
Only 100 yds away was a clearing in the trailer park, and Lake Jackson was just 300 yds to the east.
This convinces me that the Cavalon completely lost directional control, else Chris could have reached such nearby unpopulated ground.

A power pole just east of the mobile home was hit, which seems to suggest a somewhat western trajectory.

One witness who lives 1.25 miles south reported seeing the gyro
"kept going around and around".
That, in conjunction with a closer witness only a half mile away on Hwy. 27 who described a "nosedive from about 200 feet "
seems to portray something looking like a graveyard spiral and then fast vertical fall.

The cockpit audio clearly indicates that they were already involuntarily nosed over for much of the Mayday call.

Something mechanical failed catastrophically up there, and apparently at somewhere around 1000-1500' AGL given the duration of the emergency.

I hope that the NTSB will very carefully examine all the control system parts, especially the push/pull cables and the pneumatic trim cylinders.

Regards,
Kolibri
 
The eyewitness who reported seeing N198LT "kept going around and around" has elaborated on that. I think it provides a valuable clue into what Chris was dealing with:

it was going around one area and I thought that it looked like it was going to land but then seemed to go back up then go back down
I was driving so I did not watch it the entire time
This reads to me like pitch excursions from attempting to remain level with power. (In his Mayday call the engine can clearly be heard to rev up and down.)

I'm wondering if the pitch push-pull cable somehow failed (either broke or seized), or if there was a failure of the control mixer/yoke in the cockpit.
A cable bracket could have also broken.
If so, then power modulation in conjunction with pneumatic trim inputs (which could be somewhat mutually out of phase) may explain the gyro's behavior of down-up-down.

From this site is a diagram of a typical push-pull cable:




Regards,
Kolibri
 
On various Facebook pages, PRA's John Rountree has posted the below:

DANGER! PRA SAFETY INSPECTION WARNING and NOTICE.

All gyro's owners using PUSH-PULL CABLES to CONTROL the CYCLIC.
YOU NEED to INSPECT and or REPLACE them much more often.
When one fails, you have no control of the gyro at all. It will go in one direction and the one pitch attitude it is stuck in.
You will be helpless if one breaks or kinks. No control at all other than throttle which only speeds your decent if you're pitched nose down.

This is what we have learned recently and even though it is hearsay until the final report
However we know enough to warn people so they will not kill themselves until the final report is issued and confirms what the evidence shows that we suspect.

This warning would apply to the newer models of the AutoGyro Calidus and Cavalon.
The MTOsport uses control push tubes and a gimbal arm on the torque tube.

I've never believed that a push-pull cable should be used for primary control.
They cannot be internally inspected during preflight.


____
Regarding Chris Lord's N198LT, it seems confirmed from multiple sources that it had previously been rolled over,
and repaired by AutoGyro USA in Maryland. The obvious question is whether some control system parts were not prudently replaced.

Furthermore, rumor has it that after the repair N198LT still had a bad rotor shake, and that Chris was trying to reduce it.
It is unknown if he had succeeded doing so.

Anybody flying a rollover refurbished AutoGyro may want to preemptively replace their pitch-pull cables.

Regards,
Kolibri
 
NTSB Preliminary Report on N198LT:

On October 30, 2018, about 1448 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Auto-Gyro Cavalon gyrocopter, N198LT, was destroyed during collision with a power pole, wires, terrain, a residence and a post-crash fire following a forced landing in Sebring, Florida. The commercial pilot and the pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight which departed Sebring Regional Airport (SEF) about 1440 and was destined for Manatee Airport (48X), Palmetto, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

The pilot-rated passenger had dropped his gyroplane at a repair station on SEF, and the purpose of the flight was to return him to 48X. Representatives of Auto-Gyro, the airport manager at SEF, and the repair station stated the pilot had flown the accident gyroplane earlier in day for approximately 2 hours, serviced it fully with fuel, and departed with the passenger.

Preliminary radar information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed the radar target identified as the accident gyroplane was acquired at 500 feet and its track depicted a climb to about 1,000 feet where it assumed a cruise profile on an approximate on-course heading (280°) for 48X. The radar track traversed the southern border of Lake Jackson, Sebring, Florida. About 1446, the radar data depicted a descent profile that began about 1,000 feet over the southwestern shore of the lake. The descent followed the curve of the shoreline to the northwest, and the radar target disappeared at 900 feet and 90 knots groundspeed, about 4 tenths of a mile southeast of the accident site.

In an interview and a written statement, a witness stated he was driving southbound on the highway that paralleled the shoreline of the lake at the time of the accident. He said the gyrocopter was travelling northwest bound, about 300 feet above ground level "with very little airspeed" and appeared to be turning to the east. The gyrocopter then "entered an autorotation" then, when it reached "… about 150 feet the nose of the aircraft dropped immediately turning toward [the] east then back toward the north." The gyrocopter descended from view before a large fireball was seen.

The Sebring Regional Airport was not tower controlled, but a commercial website monitored and recorded the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF). At 1448, a MAYDAY call was recorded. Over the next 18 seconds, with some interruptions, the gyrocopter's registration number [partial] and a second mayday call were transmitted before the sounds of impact were heard. During the audible portions of the transmissions, sounds consistent with an engine increasing and decreasing in rpm were heard.

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for rotorcraft-gyroplane. He held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and instrument airplane. His FAA 2nd class medical certificate was issued August 25, 2017. A review of the pilot's FAA Examiner Designation and Qualification Record revealed he had accrued 4,010 total hours of flight experience, 2,715 hours of which were in "rotortype" aircraft.

According to FAA records, the gyrocopter was manufactured in 2017. Airframe logbooks were not recovered, but photographs of maintenance entries revealed the most recent condition inspection was completed October 4, 2018 at 16.6 total aircraft hours.

At 1515, the weather recorded at SEF included clear skies, 10 miles visibility, and winds from 030 degrees at 6 knots. The temperature was 28°C, and the dew point was 13°C. The altimeter setting was 30.07 inches of mercury.

The wreckage was examined at the site, and all major components could not be accounted for at the scene. The damage at the scene included powerlines, a power pole, and residence. The power pole was replaced, and the powerlines were repaired prior to examination. Photographs of the scene revealed the pole was fractured into 3 sections, and powerlines were severed and entangled with the wreckage. The residence was consumed by the post-crash fire.

The wreckage path was oriented about 290° and about 39 feet long. The initial impact crater was about 25 feet beyond the power pole, which appeared to be the initial impact point. Identifiable components of the gyrocopter included the rotor system, the engine, and the main landing gear crosstube. The wreckage path ended at the engine where it was entangled with the residence. Landing gear wheels and tires could be seen scattered outside the residence. The remainder of the gyrocopter was consumed in the post-crash fire.

The rotor system was found between the impact crater and the residence still attached to the pylon structure. It was largely intact and displayed signatures consistent with impact and heat exposure. Spiral striations consistent with wire contact and signatures consistent with electrical arcing were also visible on the rotor blades. The rotor blades were secure in their grips, and the pitch and roll controls, and pre-rotator drive were all attached to the head.

The engine was entangled and partially buried in burned debris. All external accessories were destroyed by fire. The flywheel was melted, and the remaining slag made rotation of the crankshaft impossible. The propeller hub remained attached, and the composite blades appeared to be uniformly severed at their roots prior to fire exposure.

The engine cylinder heads were removed, and the pistons were removed from their connecting rods to obtain visual access to the crankshaft and connecting rods. The signatures observed were consistent with normal wear and lubrication.


___________
Below are my excerpts and comments:


Representatives of Auto-Gyro, the airport manager at SEF, and the repair station stated the pilot had flown the accident gyroplane earlier in day for approximately 2 hours, serviced it fully with fuel, and departed with the passenger.
Since AutoGyro themselves knew of the flight (which strikes me a a bit odd), was this a post-maintenance test regarding its rumored bad rotor shake?


About 1446, the radar data depicted a descent profile that began about 1,000 feet over the southwestern shore of the lake. The descent followed the curve of the shoreline to the northwest, and the radar target disappeared at 900 feet and 90 knots groundspeed, about 4 tenths of a mile southeast of the accident site.

In an interview and a written statement, a witness stated he was driving southbound on the highway that paralleled the shoreline of the lake at the time of the accident. He said the gyrocopter was travelling northwest bound, about 300 feet above ground level "with very little airspeed" and appeared to be turning to the east. The gyrocopter then "entered an autorotation" then, when it reached "… about 150 feet the nose of the aircraft dropped immediately turning toward [the] east then back toward the north."

The Sebring Regional Airport was not tower controlled, but a commercial website monitored and recorded the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF). At 1448, a MAYDAY call was recorded. Over the next 18 seconds, with some interruptions, the gyrocopter's registration number [partial] and a second mayday call were transmitted before the sounds of impact were heard. During the audible portions of the transmissions, sounds consistent with an engine increasing and decreasing in rpm were heard.
It's been posted on FB that Chris's pre-accident goundspeed was 110mph according to SPOT data. This was presumably over Lake Jackson or its shoreline.
Radar data of 90kts (103.5mph) and a corresponding descent seems to indicate that the mechanical trouble began within about 2 minutes and 2,100' from the crash site.
The failure seems to me to have begun without great alarm (for the first minute or so), and then quickly gotten progressively worse.


The witness's phrase "entered an autorotation" seems ambiguous to me.
While a gyro pilot might say such to describe an engine-out vertical descent, a nonaviation witness may be attempting to describe the gyro spinning about its vertical axis.
The witness's
"turning toward [the] east then back toward the north" may be more describing use of the rudder (vs. roll).


The rotor blades were secure in their grips, and the pitch and roll controls, and pre-rotator drive were all attached to the head.
If pitch and/or roll cable had failed, then evidently it was below the rotorhead.


The propeller hub remained attached, and the composite blades appeared to be uniformly severed at their roots prior to fire exposure.
This seems to indicate a pre-crash prop/rotor strike (i.e., rotor flap in those last moments).



_____________
Airframe logbooks were not recovered, but photographs of maintenance entries revealed the most recent condition inspection
was completed October 4, 2018 at 16.6 total aircraft hours.
This is odd, because I've seen an N198LT For Sale ad dated 15 August claiming "40 Hours Phase One Fly Off Complete".

Finally, on FB a gyro CFI posted:

...this accident aircraft I understand was an accident re-build and was known to be a pig to fly & called a "death-trap"
by many who spent a few minutes in it - landed & vowed ...never to fly it again! ....YES ...that IS hearsay! ..... but from more than one source!
This jives what I've also been hearing.
Certain people out there in Florida know the local reputation of N198LT.
This issue needs to be aired out, along with detailed repair records of that Cavalon.

I.e., was it flying on older parts which may have been damaged in the rollover yet not replaced?
The rumored bad rotor shake seems connected.

Regards,
Kolibri
 
Here is the estimated flight path from the airport to the crash site about 8nm away.
Where the "d" is in "United" is approximately where the trouble apparently began:


20181030 Chris Lord crash in Sebring Falls Mobile Home Park-wide view-2.png.jpg

N198LT crash site.png


EVERYONE PLEASE NOTE that I've not impugned Chris Lord in any way.

I'm merely discussing facts and speculation about what could have been the mechanical cause of the crash.
 

Attachments

  • 2003 Caribbean Rd. E., Sebring, FL 33870.png
    2003 Caribbean Rd. E., Sebring, FL 33870.png
    281.4 KB · Views: 13
Just so tragic. Chris was the nicest guy I've met in the gyro world. He did my gyro rating sign off. I do hope they get to the bottom of it.
 
I am still very shaken by this happening to someone of ChrisLord's deep gyro experience ..plus losing another gyro pilot Chris Brugger in the same horrific accident! catastrophic rotor-control mechanical failure ... simply should NOT be something we need to worry about!
So VERY VERY SAD Chris L was a delightful happy helpful personality ... so young, gave SO much to the gyro community & had a young family who still need their beloved dad! Chris B ... same ... beloved by family & community! Such a senseless loss of two very fine chaps!
 
As pilots we forget the little things, A wise instructor always told me that the day you lose fear is the day you are dead. Let's pray for his family and as a community assist with anything we can, lets wait for the results of the investigation by the NTSB Hopefully there are some folks out there with video surveillance or videos that could help with the investigation.
 
Kolibri;n1139953 said:
On various Facebook pages, PRA's John Rountree has posted the below:



This warning would apply to the newer models of the AutoGyro Calidus and Cavalon.
The MTOsport uses control push tubes and a gimbal arm on the torque tube.

I've never believed that a push-pull cable should be used for primary control.
They cannot be internally inspected during preflight.


____
Regarding Chris Lord's N198LT, it seems confirmed from multiple sources that it had previously been rolled over,
and repaired by AutoGyro USA in Maryland. The obvious question is whether some control system parts were not prudently replaced.

Furthermore, rumor has it that after the repair N198LT still had a bad rotor shake, and that Chris was trying to reduce it.
It is unknown if he had succeeded doing so.

Anybody flying a rollover refurbished AutoGyro may want to preemptively replace their pitch-pull cables.

Regards,
Kolibri

I crashed a Tercel a few months ago due to this very thing. Lost left and right cyclic control... thankfully not fore aft control...and was stuck in a moderate right hand turn. Of course on touch down the gyro rolled over to the right and destroyed the gyro.

Trendak had no interest in determining what failed and the faa investigator said "experimental aircraft with no injuries... opened and closed case" and then wrote in his report that no malfunction was found? Well I suppose that's true since no investigation was done.

My best guess is that one of the poorly and under-designed mounting brackets holding the control cable to the mast became weak and broke due to vibration exposure. The bracket I suspect broke prior to impact had no bending or twisting and was very clean as compared to the other broken parts which were all twisted and bent from breaking on impact.

I spent several hours on the phone with Chris Lord discussing my crash and whether to purchase another gyro. He was an awesome guy and gave me completely unbiased advice even though he had an obvious vested interest in autogyro. He in fact convinced me not to purchase another gyro because the gyro I needed "hasn't been built yet". I now own a carbon cub.

I loved the gyro, but I will never fly another one with control cables. Control cables are one thing in an environment with minimal vibration and wear, but they have no place on an inherently vibration inducing gyro. Worse yet is that the manufacturer has no interest in investigating and potentially preventing future incidents.

Check those cables.
 
Kolibri;n1139953 said:
On various Facebook pages, PRA's John Rountree has posted the below:



This warning would apply to the newer models of the AutoGyro Calidus and Cavalon.
The MTOsport uses control push tubes and a gimbal arm on the torque tube.

I've never believed that a push-pull cable should be used for primary control.
They cannot be internally inspected during preflight.


____
Regarding Chris Lord's N198LT, it seems confirmed from multiple sources that it had previously been rolled over,
and repaired by AutoGyro USA in Maryland. The obvious question is whether some control system parts were not prudently replaced.

Furthermore, rumor has it that after the repair N198LT still had a bad rotor shake, and that Chris was trying to reduce it.
It is unknown if he had succeeded doing so.

Anybody flying a rollover refurbished AutoGyro may want to preemptively replace their pitch-pull cables.

Regards,
Kolibri

I crashed a Tercel a few months ago due to this very thing. Lost left and right cyclic control... thankfully not fore aft control...and was stuck in a moderate right hand turn. Of course on touch down the gyro rolled over to the right and destroyed the gyro.

Trendak had no interest in determining what failed and the faa investigator said "experimental aircraft with no injuries... opened and closed case" and then wrote in his report that no malfunction was found? Well I suppose that's true since no investigation was done.

My best guess is that one of the poorly and under-designed mounting brackets holding the control cable to the mast became weak and broke due to vibration exposure. The bracket I suspect broke prior to impact had no bending or twisting and was very clean as compared to the other broken parts which were all twisted and bent from breaking on impact.

I spent several hours on the phone with Chris Lord discussing my crash and whether to purchase another gyro. He was an awesome guy and gave me completely unbiased advice even though he had an obvious vested interest in autogyro. He in fact convinced me not to purchase another gyro because the gyro I needed "hasn't been built yet". I now own a carbon cub.

I loved the gyro, but I will never fly another one with control cables. Control cables are one thing in an environment with minimal vibration and wear, but they have no place on an inherently vibration inducing gyro. Worse yet is that the manufacturer has no interest in investigating and potentially preventing future incidents.

Check those cables.
 
Kolibri;n1139953 said:
On various Facebook pages, PRA's John Rountree has posted the below:



This warning would apply to the newer models of the AutoGyro Calidus and Cavalon.
The MTOsport uses control push tubes and a gimbal arm on the torque tube.

I've never believed that a push-pull cable should be used for primary control.
They cannot be internally inspected during preflight.


____
Regarding Chris Lord's N198LT, it seems confirmed from multiple sources that it had previously been rolled over,
and repaired by AutoGyro USA in Maryland. The obvious question is whether some control system parts were not prudently replaced.

Furthermore, rumor has it that after the repair N198LT still had a bad rotor shake, and that Chris was trying to reduce it.
It is unknown if he had succeeded doing so.

Anybody flying a rollover refurbished AutoGyro may want to preemptively replace their pitch-pull cables.

Regards,
Kolibri

I crashed a Tercel a few months ago due to this very thing. Lost left and right cyclic control... thankfully not fore aft control...and was stuck in a moderate right hand turn. Of course on touch down the gyro rolled over to the right and destroyed the gyro.

Trendak had no interest in determining what failed and the faa investigator said "experimental aircraft with no injuries... opened and closed case" and then wrote in his report that no malfunction was found? Well I suppose that's true since no investigation was done.

My best guess is that one of the poorly and under-designed mounting brackets holding the control cable to the mast became weak and broke due to vibration exposure. The bracket I suspect broke prior to impact had no bending or twisting and was very clean as compared to the other broken parts which were all twisted and bent from breaking on impact.

I spent several hours on the phone with Chris Lord discussing my crash and whether to purchase another gyro. He was an awesome guy and gave me completely unbiased advice even though he had an obvious vested interest in autogyro. He in fact convinced me not to purchase another gyro because the gyro I needed "hasn't been built yet". I now own a carbon cub.

I loved the gyro, but I will never fly another one with control cables. Control cables are one thing in an environment with minimal vibration and wear, but they have no place on an inherently vibration inducing gyro. Worse yet is that the manufacturer has no interest in investigating and potentially preventing future incidents.

Check those cables.
 
Jtnock;n1140267 said:
I spent several hours on the phone with Chris Lord discussing my crash and whether to purchase another gyro. He was an awesome guy and gave me completely unbiased advice even though he had an obvious vested interest in autogyro. He in fact convinced me not to purchase another gyro because the gyro I needed "hasn't been built yet". I now own a carbon cub.

Congrats on the Carbon Cub. What specifically are your needs that the gyro you need "hasn't been built yet". That's an interesting comment.

Jtnock;n1140267 said:
I loved the gyro, but I will never fly another one with control cables. Control cables are one thing in an environment with minimal vibration and wear, but they have no place on an inherently vibration inducing gyro. Worse yet is that the manufacturer has no interest in investigating and potentially preventing future incidents.

Check those cables.
Do the AutoGyro certified models use control cables, anyone?
 
I'm a rancher/farmer in cold country. I need a heated canopy on a machine that can handle frequent off airport landings an takeoffs. The mto sport comes close, but doesn't have a heated canopy.

Its frustrating to fly an ideal stol aircraft and be tied to a smooth landing strip. None of them have the customer support and backing to make them anything more than a fun part-time hobby, though I think autogyro is getting close.
 
Some interesting "whistleblower" comments on this crash at:
http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2018/11/autogyro-cavalon-n198lt-fatal-accident.html


______
Its frustrating to fly an ideal stol aircraft and be tied to a smooth landing strip.
Jtnock, I agree. I think Sport Copter's upcoming M2 will be the only 2-place "off-road" gyro.
Shock-absorbed suspension, 1.25" steel axle, trailed/free-castering nosewheel, etc.


I loved the gyro, but I will never fly another one with control cables. Control cables are one thing in an environment with minimal vibration and wear, but they have no place on an inherently vibration inducing gyro.
The engineer of a cable mfg. mentioned to a potential customer that such cables should never be used for primary flight control.

While we still don't know if somehow the cables failed in N198LT, it's by now widely agreed that some kind of control failure caused the crash.



______
Do the AutoGyro certified models use control cables, anyone?
Zzorse, yes, the Calidus and Cavalon do, as far as I know.

Regards,
Kolibri
 
Chris Lord had skill and integrity.

I am certain he would want people to know how to become safer pilots and learn from his accident.

I doubt he would want someone to demonize him and denigrate the gyroplane community as Kolibri has done ignoring facts and embracing gossip.
 
Some interesting "whistleblower" comments on this crash at:
http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2018/11/autogyro-cavalon-n198lt-fatal-accident.html


______
Its frustrating to fly an ideal stol aircraft and be tied to a smooth landing strip.
Jtnock, I agree. I think Sport Copter's upcoming M2 will be the only 2-place "off-road" gyro.
Shock-absorbed suspension, 1.25" steel axle, trailed/free-castering nosewheel, etc.


I loved the gyro, but I will never fly another one with control cables. Control cables are one thing in an environment with minimal vibration and wear, but they have no place on an inherently vibration inducing gyro.
The engineer of a cable mfg. mentioned to a potential customer that such cables should never be used for primary flight control.

While we still don't know if somehow the cables failed in N198LT, it's by now widely agreed that some kind of control failure caused the crash.



______
Do the AutoGyro certified models use control cables, anyone?
Zzorse, yes, the Calidus and Cavalon do, as far as I know.

Regards,
Kolibri
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top