Amateur-built TANGO II accident near Childress, Texas, July 28, 2021
On July 28, 2021 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 2017 amateur-built TANGO II (gyroplane), registered N910V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Childress, Texas (Childress Muni airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain control while landing the gyroplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2021 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Childress, Texas · Childress Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built TANGO II, built 2017
- Registration
- N910V · no longer on the register · serial 000006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot flew three normal traffic patterns in the gyroplane. During the fourth landing the gyroplane “began to tip to the left” and the student pilot was unable to regain control. The gyroplane subsequently impacted the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the stabilizer, rudder, and main rotor. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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 landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 45 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 107 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 12, 2021; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Yamaha Vector Snowmo (piston); 107 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CDS Childress TX at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18/3, 5,949 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from KCDS
Weather report (METAR): KCDS 281553Z AUTO 17008KT FEW100 31/21 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP167 T03110206 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 9, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos of Aircraft | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.