mark treidel
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2005
- Messages
- 1,471
- Location
- Beautiful Mile High Denver, Colorado
- Aircraft
- AR-1
- Total Flight Time
- 3000 +
Yes interesting, probably the cause will never be known. I think a full on stroke is medically unlikely or he would still have physical evidence of this like paralysis / weakness, aphasia etc. Maybe a pre stroke situation like a transient ischaemic attack. Or maybe just messed up......An update on the aftermath of the accident available here: https://www.aviationpros.com/aircra...ucket-of-luck-on-that-one?fbclid=IwAR0zljdKCY
Yes interesting, probably the cause will never be known. I think a full on stroke is medically unlikely or he would still have physical evidence of this like paralysis / weakness, aphasia etc. Maybe a pre stroke situation like a transient ischaemic attack. Or maybe just messed up......
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The pilot does not remember the details after lining up on the runway. Interestingly, from the news video it looks like the two blades are quite straight and in alignment, except for some bent portions at the tip of one blade. Witnesses may be able to confirm if the rotors were turning (in which case the damage could have been worse)."
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Jeff and I were discussing this accident this morning. Looking at the one picture I saw, it appears the rotor my have not been turning or if it was it was turning very very slowly; the blade damage does not suggest the rotor was turning. Is he a fixed wing experienced pilot? If so, how many hours? How many Gyro hours and which type of machines?
It is not uncommon for an individual involved in an traumatic accident to, not remember much about the event, if anything. Bits and pieces might be remembered as time passes. If he had a medical issue/event aside from the spinal injuries, I wish him well and a full recovery.
I'm pondering; did he pull out and line up and when he was given permission to "takeoff" he applied power and did not "Prerotate", and just did not realize it. As possible a low time Gyro pilot and the added distractions of a Towered airport. Just had a "Senior Moment" as we all do sometimes, and the chain of events began to unfold from there.
Faa.gov lists him a third class medical in 2016 and basic med in 2018 with Sport Pilot Gyroplane in June 2019, and does not meet ICAO requirements.
that makes sense if he went to the factory to assist in the build.
I feel badly and a sense of loss for him and a beautiful machine.
Every time I hear about a Gyro related accident, I take it personally and feel a sense of loss in our community, because we all take the hit also; and the insurance underwriters will take another step back.
I always spin up once on the runway. There’s no issue with taking 30 seconds to spin up and take off. It’s safer this way in my opinion. Witnessed gyro taxi off the runway uncontrolled while spinning up rotors.
Agree with you completely; absolutely no problem in an Autogyro machine eitherWhile I understand doing so is almost a requirement for many gyros, particularly with “rigid” prerotators such as on the Autogyros, etc., it seems to me to be far less than ideal for several reasons.
If one is flying from their own personal field, or one where only gyros fly, then cool (I suppose). Anywhere else and one runs the risk of interfering with other departing and landing aircraft. Yes, I know there are towered fields that are accustomed to local doing so but that’s true “toleration” (acceptance of some level of imperfection), IMHO. It’s akin to someone doing a 30-second runup on the runway centerline. Imagine a busy field where everyone - including FWs - did that. If gyros ever grow to be significant in numbers here in the US, I bet that will change.
As for taxiing off on a taxiway uncontrolled while spinning up, that could just as easily have happened on the runway - and I guarantee it was pilot error. It could at least as easily happen during runup, where at least in my Magni I’m using higher engine RPM/power than rotor spin-up.
Just my personal opinions
/Ed
A quote from the accident pilot. "I'm the pilot. Remember taxiing to the run up area then getting permission to take off, then aligning at the runway threshold. Then, nothing until awaking in the emergency room. They said I went 1000m down the middle, approached 100mph veered onto the grass, then when i hit a slight ramp at taxiway C , that threw me into the air and then tumbled about 200m more. Broke t5and c9 and a small bone in my foot. The plane can get into ground effect at 30mph. Do not know how it stayed aligned and on the ground until I hit the bump."I’m not saying this didn’t happen. One big thought pops up to me, though: how could one go from no rotor rotation to flyable rotation (he apparently got into the air about 10 feet) at 100mph without blade flapping first? A serious question.
Second, it’s plausible he could have pulled on to the runway without prerotating but in the Magnis, especially taught by Dayton, as he was, we NEVER initiate prerotation on the runway. We always enter the runway after doing a runup followed by prerotation and, in fact, typically use the spinning rotor as a brake, varying the braking with rotor pitch until lines up and ready to go. I never MOVE with less than 150rrpm, let alone get on the runway.
But it’s plausible, I suppose.
My understanding is he’s a very low-time gyro pilot with even less FW time (no FW rating).
It doesn't read to me like the gyroplane was flying.
What distance would you estimate, Vance?
At the AZ course Phil also predicted we’d see more blade flaps in 915iS-powered gyros. My understanding is this is such a gyro and it sounds like he may be correct - just speculating.
The technique he taught there is sound: learn what your throttle position is for cruise and set power there first during takeoff till the nosewheel starts coming off and the rotor is increasing RPM on its own, then (and only then) increase power to climb power, which for a fire-breathing 915iS (or even a 914) may not be full throttle, especially on a cold day solo.