Cartercopter LLC CarterCopter accident near Olney, Texas, June 17, 2005
On June 17, 2005 at about 2:57 pm local time, a Cartercopter LLC CarterCopter (gyroplane), registered N121CC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olney, Texas (Olney Municiple Airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to maintain control of the gyrocraft during a forced landing as a result of a loss of cyclic and collective control. Contributing factors were the sheared propeller drive pulley bolts, broken wire on the co-pilots cyclic boost control solenoid, failure of the ballistic parachute to deploy, and the lack of suitable terrain for forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2005 · about 2:57 pm local time
- Place
- Olney, Texas · Olney Municiple Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cartercopter LLC CarterCopter
- Registration
- N121CC · registry record · serial 1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a research and development flight, the gyrocraft was flying at an airspeed of 151 miles per hour when the 2,400-hour pilot heard a noise from the engine compartment. The pilot stated that the gyrocraft started to roll to the left despite control inputs. After an unsuccessful attempt to deploy the onboard ballistic parachute, the pilot initiated a forced landing. The pilot attempted to flare using the control stick only and "did not pull collective." Subsequently, the gyrocraft impacted trees before hitting the ground. An examination of the gyrocraft revealed that bolts holding the propeller drive pulley to the propeller drive shaft were "sheared" and a wire to the co-pilot cyclic boost control solenoid was separated.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 2,400 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 380 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 300 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 1, 2005; 0.5 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Unknown GMLS-6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KONY Olney TX at 2:44 pm
- Destination: KONY Olney TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 11:04 am
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N121CC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DFW05CA163.