Autogyro USA LLC CALIDUS accident near Jasper, Georgia, September 11, 2022
On September 11, 2022 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 2016 Autogyro USA LLC CALIDUS (gyroplane), registered N451AG, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Jasper, Georgia (Pickens County airport). 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 pilot’s failure to maintain control of the gyroplane during a touch-and-go landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 2022 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Jasper, Georgia · Pickens County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Autogyro USA LLC CALIDUS, built 2016
- Registration
- N451AG · no longer on the register · serial US-C00428
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he finished training and received a logbook endorsement to fly the gyroplane five days before the accident. The purpose of the accident flight was to practice touch-and-go landings. The first two were uneventful, but during the third touch-and-go, he applied power to take off again and the gyroplane rolled to the left. The pilot overcorrected and rolled the gyroplane right, resulting in the main rotor blades contacting the ground. The gyroplane slid on the runway to a stop on its right side resulting in substantial damage to main rotor blades and tail section. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 1,464 hours in all; 3 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 5, 2022
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 41.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 24, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,102 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 443 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 1:34 pm from KGVL, 33 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KGVL 111734Z AUTO 17003KT 10SM SCT020 SCT027 26/21 A3013 RMK AO2 T02560206
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 11, 2023. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.