Larry F Preiss AR-1 accident near Gainesville, GA
On March 25, 2023, a Larry F Preiss AR-1 (gyroplane) was involved in an accident near Gainesville, GA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 25, 2023
- Place
- Gainesville, GA
- Aircraft
- Larry F Preiss AR-1 · Gyroplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.416°N, 83.768°W
- NTSB ID
- 20230325106954
Official records · ERA23FA163
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 25, 2023, at 1352 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built AR-1 gyroplane, N47AR, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Gainesville, Georgia. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the wife of the pilot, her husband wanted to fly early in the day due to the wind conditions that would be occurring later in the day. She stated that he had just recently decided to start flying again and put together the gyroplane himself but had met with a mechanic, “…in the last couple of weeks to make sure the aircraft was in good working condition.” She further stated that he would typically depart from the Gainesville airport, fly to Cornelia, Georgia, where he would land, and then fly back. Review of ADS-B data showed that the gyroplane departed the Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport (GVL), Gainesville, Georgia. The gyroplane flew north of the airport, cruising at an altitude of 2,000 ft. The ADS-B data showed that the gyroplane then made a series of turns around the Gainesville, Georgia, area before the data ended. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot’s logbook record was not available for review. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONAn examination of the accident site revealed that the wreckage of the gyroplane was oriented on a 345° heading. The gyroplane came to rest about 100 yards from a powerline. The powerline, which was located on private property, extended across the gyroplane’s estimated flightpath about 50 ft above the ground
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and his failure to detect water-contaminated fuel that resulted in a loss of engine power and subsequent impact with a wire and terrain during an attempted forced landing.
More accidents in GA
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Browse: Georgia
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
