Amateur-built Cartercopter accident near Olney, Texas, April 29, 2001
On April 29, 2001 at about 7:46 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 test 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 directional control during the takeoff initial climb. Contributory factors were the pilot's lack of experience with the aircraft and the soft terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 2001 · about 7:46 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
- Registration
- N121CC · registry record · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a test flight over the runway. The experimental prototype gyrocraft took off from the runway and flew approximately 2-3 feet above the ground. The pilot applied "right cyclic control" for drift correction while raising the collective approximately "6 degrees for climb." The pilot reported that at the same time the nose pitched up rapidly and rolled to the right. Corrective control inputs were applied to level the gyrocopter; however, it rolled left and over flew the edge of the runway. The pilot reduced the collective, and the aircraft touched down on the ground in a level attitude rolling approximately 25 mph. As the gyrocraft slowed to approximately 5 mph, the nose landing gear collapsed, the gyrocraft nosed down, and the main rotor blades contacted the ground and sustained structural damage. The pilot had accumulated 3,800 flight hours. This was the pilot's first flight in the accident aircraft.
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
- Flight time: 3,800 hours in all; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 3,800 as pilot in command; 2,100 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 5, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 110.9 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 29, 2001; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Gm Corvette LS1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ONY Olney TX at 7:46 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 8 knots, gusting 12
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 FTW01LA108.