Silverlight Aviation Llc AR-1 accident near Heber City, UT
On December 16, 2020, a Silverlight Aviation Llc AR-1 (gyroplane) was involved in an accident near Heber City, UT. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 16, 2020
- Place
- Heber City, UT
- Aircraft
- Silverlight Aviation Llc AR-1 · Gyroplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 40.483°N, 111.429°W
- NTSB ID
- 20201216102424
Official records · WPR21LA070
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 16, 2020, about 1417 mountain standard time, an experimental, amateur built, SilverLight LLC AR-1 gyroplane, N261MD, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Heber Valley Airport (HCR), Heber, Utah. The pilot received fatal injuries. The gyroplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Multiple witnesses reported observing the gyroplane take off from runway 22. One witness stated that the flight looked “incredibly unstable” the entire time it was airborne. Another witness stated that he saw the gyroplane make an abrupt pull up and a right-hand turn out, with the mast parallel with the ground if not beyond. Multiple witnesses reported the gyroplane in a spin [about the vertical axis] before pitching nose down and descending to the ground. A video recording, taken by a witness at the airport, revealed the gyroplane began a takeoff roll on runway 22. During the roll, the left landing gear and nose wheel lifted off the runway and settled back onto the runway. Shortly after liftoff, the gyroplane pitched nose-up and down multiple times, followed by an abrupt nose-up attitude and an abrupt gain in altitude. About 3 seconds later the gyroplane banked right. Shortly after the right turn the gyroplane began to descend and rotated about the vertical axis. The gyroplane then pitched nose down and impacted terrain. A security camera located on the airport property captured the gyroplane as it came into view while in a very nose-high attitude. The gyroplane was partially obscured from view by t
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to follow the procedures for takeoff in the Pilot Operating Handbook, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with the terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to receive additional training in the gyroplane.
More accidents in UT
- Beech A100, Aug 22, 2008
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Browse: Utah
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
