Amateur-built Sparrow Hawk accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma, July 31, 2008
On July 31, 2008 at about 12:15 pm local time, a amateur-built Sparrow Hawk (gyroplane), registered N167SC, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Tulsa, Oklahoma. 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 student pilot's failure to maintain control of the gyroplane. Contributing to the accident was the lack of recent flight instruction prior to the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2008 · about 12:15 pm local time
- Place
- Tulsa, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Sparrow Hawk
- Registration
- N167SC · registry record · serial SH20040004K
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was attempting to take off from the airfield when the gyroplane climbed out of ground effect. The pilot noted that the gyroplane did not want to climb or maintain altitude and began descend. The pilot commanded a right turn and the descent rate began to increase. The forced landing was set up in a nearby field. A hard landing was reported by the pilot and the gyroplane rolled onto its left side. The pilot was able to egress without assistance. A review of the pilot's log book revealed that the student pilot had not received an endorsement from a flight instructor within the prescribed 90 days of the solo flight. An NTSB 6120 was not submitted prior to the completion of this case.
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 in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru EJ-22 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5F2 Tulsa OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 800 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from TUL, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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 DFW08CA208.