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.