MERIDEN, CT, USA
N501JL
LAMB COMMANDER ELITE
SEVERAL WITNESSES OBSERVED THE PILOT PERFORMING REPEATED LOW LEVEL 'FAST TAXI' MANEUVERS IN HIS HOMEBUILT GYROCOPTER. THEY STATED THAT THE PILOT HOVER-TAXIED PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY AT AN ESTIMATED 4 TO 5 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. WITNESSES STATED THAT 'HE SEEMED TO BE HAVING TROUBLE...HE WOULD STOP, UNBUCKLE AND EXAMINE THE ROTOR HEAD, MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS...GET BACK IN AND TAXI (AGAIN).' DURING THE LAST ATTEMPT TO FAST TAXI, THE GYROCOPTER WAS OBSERVED FLYING AT ABOUT 5 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, 'THEN WENT UP INTO THE AIR APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET, BUT IT WAS VERY ERRATIC...IT THEN DIVED...INTO THE GROUND.' ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SWAYED FROM SIDE TO SIDE BEFORE IT 'PLUNGED TOWARDS THE GROUND AND CRASHED.' INSPECTION OF ENGINE AND AIRFRAME DID NOT SHOW ANY EVIDENCE OF A MALFUNCTION.
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE HOMEBUILT GYROCOPTER WHILE PREFORMING LOW LEVEL 'FAST TAXI' MANEUVERS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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