Amateur-built SPORT COPTER VORTEX accident near Lake Wales, Florida, September 24, 2015
On September 24, 2015 at about 2:50 pm local time, a 2007 amateur-built SPORT COPTER VORTEX (gyroplane), registered N179V, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Lake Wales, Florida (Lake Wales airport). 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
A loss of engine power due to a lean fuel/air mixture as a result of a disconnected fuel primer line.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 2015 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Wales, Florida · Lake Wales · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SPORT COPTER VORTEX NO SERIES, built 2007
- Registration
- N179V · no longer on the register · serial 007
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial climb, the sport pilot of the gyroplane noticed that the engine began to lose power, and he attempted to return to the airport. The engine continued to lose power and the pilot made a forced landing in a field. During the landing sequence, the gyroplane rolled over and sustained damage to the airframe. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel primer line was brittle and disconnected. The pilot stated that all of the fuel lines had been recently replaced, with the exception of the primer line. It is likely that the disconnected fuel primer line caused an excessively lean air/fuel mixture ratio, which resulted in the loss of engine power during the climb.
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 engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 324 hours in all; 73 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 760 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X07 Lake Wales FL at 2:45 pm
- Destination: X07 Lake Wales FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 2:47 pm from X07, 1 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.
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.