Amateur-built RAF 2000 accident near Pontiac, Michigan, September 18, 2004
On September 18, 2004 at about 8:00 pm local time, a amateur-built RAF 2000 (gyroplane), registered N702BX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pontiac, Michigan. It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of engine power due to the scoring and overheating of the cylinders as a result of the pilot/owner's improper servicing of the modified engine cooling system. Additional factors included the pilot/owner modifying and servicing the engine cooling system without maintenance instructions available for reference.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2004 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pontiac, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RAF 2000
- Registration
- N702BX · no longer on the register · serial H2 97-8-322
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The amateur-built gyrocopter sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after takeoff. Prior to takeoff, the pilot had performed a 30-40 minute ground run to check the engine cooling system that had been modified prior to the flight. The pilot reported that the engine operating temperature during the ground run was 140 degrees F and there were no coolant leaks. The pilot reported that during the takeoff, the gyrocopter's climb performance was not as good as he had anticipated. By the end of runway, the gyrocopter had climbed to about 200 feet above ground level (agl), and the engine started to lose power. The pilot declared an emergency and attempted to return to the runway. The pilot reported that the gyrocopter "did not have enough altitude or speed to make a proper landing." The pilot landed the gyrocopter in a grassy area at the end of the runway. A visual inspection of the cylinders with a borescope revealed that both aft cylinders exhibited evidence of scoring and overheating. The gyrocopter pilot/owner had altered the engine cooling system by moving the radiator approximately four inches aft of its original location, because the engine operating temperature was higher than normal (190-200 degrees F). By moving the radiator aft, it moved the radiator further away from the engine exhaust system, and it provided for increased cooling system fluid capacity by lengthening the radiator hoses. The pilot/owner was unable to return all the coolant that he had drained from the radiator prior to the modification, back into the radiator after the modification was made. The cooling system modification was made at the advice of the airframe kit manufacturer, however, the pilot/owner was not a mechanic and he did not have the required cooling system service instructions available at the time the modification was made.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 800 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru EJ 2.2 Liter (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Eagle Flight, Inc
The flight
- Departed from: PTK Waterford MI at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 57D New Haven MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.