Silverlight Aviation LLC AR-1 accident near Fort Meade, Florida, October 3, 2019
On October 3, 2019 at about 3:15 pm local time, a 2018 Silverlight Aviation LLC AR-1 (gyroplane), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N463JW, was substantially damaged in an accident during prior to flight near Fort Meade, Florida. It was an instructional 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 inadequate preflight inspection that failed to detect water contamination of the fuel and resulted in a total loss of engine power during cruise flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2019 · about 3:15 pm local time · cases in 2019
- Place
- Fort Meade, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Silverlight Aviation LLC AR-1, built 2018, amateur-built
- Registration
- N463JW · registry record · serial 0028
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot obtained automotive fuel from a gas station close to his departure airport to fuel the gyroplane before departing on a solo cross-country flight. About 45 minutes into the flight, there was a “loud bang” from the engine, and it subsequently lost total power and could not be restarted. The pilot performed a forced landing in a swamp, during which the rotor blades impacted terrain. Post-accident examination revealed fuel contamination consisting of water and sediment. New fuel was added, and a subsequent test run of the engine revealed no anomalies. It is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of the fuel contamination, and that the accident would have likely been prevented if the student pilot had performed an adequate preflight inspection to detect water in the fuel.
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 (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Fuel contamination during prior to flight defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition other cases naming the fuel system
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › (general) › Damaged/degraded other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 139 hours in all; 139 in this make and model; 99 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 140 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,232 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 914UL (piston); 140 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X39 Tampa FL at 2:30 pm
- Destination: SEF Sebring FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from BOW, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 7 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Fuel Contamination Water in Fuel Sample Total of 14 gallons of fuel was drained revealing about half a gallon of water.
Photo 1 – Overhead view of accident site from about 150 feet agl. Note police helicopter that attempted to rescue pilot about 100 feet to the right of gyroplane; See ERA20LA004.
Photo 2 – Overhead view of left side of gyroplane in the mud showing damage to the rotor blade.
Photo 3 – Overhead view of gyroplane in the grass and mud. Note the damaged rotor blade
Photo 4 – Photograph of interior of cockpit and fuselage buckling.
Photo 5 – Damage to rotor mast and propellers.
Photo 6 – View of contaminated fuel drained from gyrocopter on left compared to clean fuel on right.The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on March 4, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Weather | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array- Accident Site and Damage | PDF, 6 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 6 | Photograph of Water in Fuel | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N463JW on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Rotax 914UL 305 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Tampa North Aero Park Airport · departed from
- Sebring Regional · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 988 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,702 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA20TA005.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.