Daniels DOMINATOR accident near Valkaria, FL
On April 29, 2013, a Daniels DOMINATOR (gyroplane) was involved in an accident near Valkaria, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- April 29, 2013
- Place
- Valkaria, FL
- Aircraft
- Daniels DOMINATOR · Gyroplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 27.952°N, 80.551°W
- NTSB ID
- 20130429X83907
Official records · ERA13FA219
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 29, 2013, about 0744 eastern daylight time, a Daniel J. Danies Dominator gyroplane incurred substantial damage after impacting terrain while in the local traffic pattern at Valkaria Airport (X59), Valkaria, Florida. The light sport pilot sustained fatal injuries. The gyroplane was registered to and operated by a private individual as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that departed X59 about 0740. In an interview with a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator, a certified flight instructor who witnessed and videotaped the flight stated that on the morning of the flight, the pilot ran up the engine and did his preflight checks at the approach end of runway 10, which was a closed runway. During this procedure, the pilot turned the engine off and then back on again for an unknown reason. The pilot then started a takeoff roll, engaged the rotor head pre-rotator, the gyroplane jerked to the left, and the pilot aborted the takeoff attempt. On taxi back, the pilot told the witness that the pre-rotator system was slipping. The pilot reached the approach end of runway 10, reengaged the pre-rotor and started a second takeoff roll. The witness stated that the takeoff roll was about 1,500 feet in length, and was an unusually long takeoff roll compared to the other gyroplane takeoffs that he had witnessed in the past. The witness stated that the rotor blades slowly accelerated and the pilot lifted the aircraft off the runway
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate power and airspeed, which resulted in a loss of control, abrupt descent, and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to obtain adequate experience in the gyroplane before making the flight.
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Browse: Florida
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
