Wiggins AIR BOSS accident near Lansing, IL
On September 10, 2012, a Wiggins AIR BOSS (gyroplane) was involved in an accident near Lansing, IL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 10, 2012
- Place
- Lansing, IL
- Aircraft
- Wiggins AIR BOSS · Gyroplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 41.522°N, 87.528°W
- NTSB ID
- 20120910X35729
Official records · CEN12FA619
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn September 10, 2012, about 1100 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Wiggins model Air Boss gyroplane, N717EW, was destroyed when it collided with terrain at the Lansing Municipal Airport (IGQ), Lansing, Illinois. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The gyroplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local test flight that was originating at the time of the accident. A witness reported that he was watching the pilot test fly his recently completed gyroplane. The test flights consisted of the gyroplane temporarily becoming airborne and then landing on the remaining runway. He stated that the pilot completed three full-stop landings on runway 18 before he taxied back to the hangar. After the flight, the pilot remarked that the gyroplane's flight controls felt "mushy" during the test flights. The witness, a gyroplane pilot, reported that the main landing gear had remained parallel to the runway after each of the takeoffs and that he believed the gyroplane had been flying on the "backside of the power curve" (also known as the region of reversed command; a low-speed flight condition where a decrease in airspeed must be accompanied by an increased power setting in order to maintain steady flight). The witness also remarked that on at least one takeoff the gyroplane had yawed nose left (tail right) shortly after liftoff, but it had realigned with the runway heading befo
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to obtain adequate familiarization with gyroplane operations before attempting a flight test of the recently completed gyroplane, which resulted in his failure to maintain control during the accident flight.
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Browse: Illinois
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
