Russell W Dyer VORTEX accident near Lakeport, CA
On December 2, 2021, a Russell W Dyer VORTEX (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Lakeport, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 2, 2021
- Place
- Lakeport, CA
- Aircraft
- Russell W Dyer VORTEX · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 39.027°N, 122.907°W
- NTSB ID
- 20211203104342
Official records · WPR22FA053
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 2, 2021, about 1115 Pacific standard time, an experimental amateur-built, Sport Copter Vortex gyroplane, N425RD, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lakeport, California. The pilot was fatally injured. The gyroplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Witnesses located about 2 miles west of the accident site observed the gyroplane in level flight, about the same height as a set of telephone poles, and then saw it tumble tail over nose three times before they lost sight of it behind a tree line. The gyroplane was not equipped with an automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast transponder and it was flying too low for radar coverage. PILOT INFORMATION The pilot had been involved in another accident in the same area while flying a gyroplane in August 2020. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the probable cause of that accident to be: “The pilot’s distraction and failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a low altitude maneuver, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control and collision with terrain.” See NTSB accident report WPR20CA253. Flight logbook records were not recovered for the pilot; however, at the time of the last accident, he reported to the NTSB that he had accrued 853.8 total hours of flight time in single-engine airplanes and 71.3 total hours in rotorcraft. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The entire gyroplane came to rest generally intact on its left side on flat open terrain covered with tall heavily vegetated brush near the shore
Probable cause
The pilot’s loss of control for reasons that could not be determined and the delayed remedial action to recover from the power pushover event.
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Browse: California
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
