Amateur-built VORTEX accident near Monroe, Wisconsin, May 27, 1998
On May 27, 1998 at about 4:35 pm local time, a amateur-built VORTEX (gyroplane), registered N1025Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Monroe, Wisconsin. It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM. A factor associated with the accident was the soft terrain on which the gyrocopter touched down.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 1998 · about 4:35 pm local time
- Place
- Monroe, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VORTEX
- Registration
- N1025Y · no longer on the register · serial 022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that shortly after departure while at about 1,200 feet above ground level, he felt the gyroplane slowing down and he noticed a loss of rotor RPM. He initiated an emergency descent and elected to land straight ahead in a cultivated field. The pilot initiated a 180 degree turn to avoid tree and the gyroplane descended to impact with the terrain. The left landing gear dug into the soft plowed field and the gyroplane rolled over onto its left side. Post accident inspection of the gyroplane failed to reveal any mechanical failure and/or malfunction which would have prevented normal operation. The pilot installed a pre-rotor system on the gyroplane the weekend before 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,360 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EFT at 4:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from EFT, 4 miles away
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.