Air & Space 18A accident near Paducah, Kentucky, May 19, 1987
On May 19, 1987 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Air & Space 18A (gyroplane), registered N6154S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paducah, Kentucky. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 1987 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Paducah, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air & Space 18A
- Registration
- N6154S · registry record · serial 18-65
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE GRYOPLANE HAD BEEN OVERHAULED TO NEW SPECIFICATIONS AND WAS MAKING ITS FIRST TEST FLIGHT. DURING TAKEOFF THE ACFT EXPERIENCED A SLIGHT LEFT YAW, AND ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE YAW ONLY INCREASED IT. THE PLT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF AND THE ACFT LANDED IN A YAWED CONDITION. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE RUDDER CABLES HAD BEEN INCORRECTLY HOOKED UP, RESULTING IN REVERSE RUDDER COMMAND.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 490 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 6, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 2,985 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:00 am
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.