Amateur-built CARTERCOPTER accident near Olney, Texas, December 16, 1999
On December 16, 1999 at about 4:45 pm local time, a amateur-built CARTERCOPTER (gyroplane), registered N121CC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olney, Texas (Olney Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 failure to maintain rotor rpm during takeoff, which resulted in a hard landing following the aborted takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 1999 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Olney, Texas · Olney Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CARTERCOPTER CARTERCOPT
- Registration
- N121CC · registry record · serial 1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
For the first test flight of the day, the gyroplane's rotor was pre-rotated to 450 rpm, instead of the normal 550 rpm. As the takeoff was initiated, the collective was raised in a 'normal' manner and liftoff was accomplished. According to the pilot, 'within a few seconds into the climb, the control forces began to build, and stick shake began.' The pilot had to use both hands to apply forward cyclic pressure to 'counter' the nose pitching up. The pilot stated that he momentarily removed one hand from the cyclic to reduce power [collective]. At this time, the nose pitched up and power was reapplied to cushion the touchdown. The pilot reported that, 'application of power was not smooth and resulted in a hard landing, causing the blades to hit the rudders.' The pilot reported that after reviewing the flight data, it 'became apparent that had the collective been lowered shortly after liftoff, the rotor RPM would not have dissipated so rapidly, causing the high control forces and blade flapping.'
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 30,000 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 20,000 as pilot in command; 5,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 45 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, December 16, 1999; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,500 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Gm LSI CORVETTE (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ONY at 4:44 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22L, 5,098 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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 FTW00LA045.