Amateur-built RAF 2000 accident near Anahuac, Texas, March 31, 2012
On March 31, 2012 at about 8:55 pm local time, a amateur-built RAF 2000 (helicopter), registered N9012R, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Anahuac, Texas (Chambers County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper nosewheel and cyclic positioning during the taxi, which resulted in the gyroplane's main rotor contacting the runway surface. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2012 · about 8:55 pm local time
- Place
- Anahuac, Texas · Chambers County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RAF 2000
- Registration
- N9012R · no longer on the register · serial H2-99-10-436
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot and flight instructor were practicing takeoffs, flight maneuvers, and landings in the student pilot's gyroplane. After landing on the runway with a right crosswind, the student pilot attempted to taxi the gyroplane back to the hangar. During the taxi forward, the gyroplane began to roll to the right and the rotor blades contacted the runway. The student pilot stated that the nosewheel and cyclic positions at the time of the forward taxi were likely the reasons for the roll to the right; this statement was consistent with the student pilot not repositioning the nosewheel and cyclic after the landing to a safe taxi position. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage structure. The student pilot and flight instructor reported no mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Towing and taxiing › Taxiing › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Student pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Instructor/check pilot
Dual student
- Flight time: 50 hours in all; 50 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 97 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru ALL MDLS A/B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T00 Anahuac TX at 8:20 pm
- Destination: T00 Anahuac TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from HOU, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.