Air Command 532 ELITE accident near Palmer, Alaska, July 18, 1988
On July 18, 1988 at about 3:45 am local time, a Air Command 532 ELITE (gyroplane), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N1925, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palmer, Alaska (Palmer Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1988 · about 3:45 am local time
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · Palmer Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Command 532 ELITE, amateur-built
- Registration
- N1925 · registry record · serial RH 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING LANDING APPROACH AN EXCESSIVE RATE OF DESCENT DEVELOPED VERY NEAR THE RUNWAY. THE GYROPLANE LANDED HARD. AFTER THE HARD LANDING THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE PULLED THE CONTROL COLUMN TO ITS AFT POSITION ABRUPTLY. THE SMALL TAIL WHEEL STRUCK THE RUNWAY SURFACE AND FAILED.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 20 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 20 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 651 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 532 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAQ Palmer AK at 10:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from PAQ, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC88DAG06.