Air Command 532 accident near El Paso, Texas, April 7, 1990
On April 7, 1990 at about 6:20 pm local time, a Air Command 532 (gyroplane), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Paso, Texas (West Texas airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND ROTOR RPM. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUCTION AND EXPERIENCE IN ROTORCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 1990 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas · West Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Command 532, amateur-built
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAKEOFF, THE GYROPLANE WAS SEEN CLIMBING IN A STEEP ATTITUDE, FOLLOWED BY OSCILLATIONS ABOUT THE LATERAL AXIS. THESE EXCURSIONS INCREASED IN SEVERITY AND THE ROTOR BLADE RPM DETERIORATED. AFTER ABOUT THREE OSCILLATIONS, THE GYROPLANE ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND TUMBLED TO THE GROUND FROM AN APPROXIMATE HEIGHT OF 125 FT. INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED EVIDENCE OF DOWNWARD ROTATIONAL FLAPPING MOTION OF THE ROTOR BLADES. CORRESPONDING IMPACT MARKS SHOWED THAT THE ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TIPS OF THE PROPELLER BLADES AND THE VERTICAL STABILIZER/RUDDER. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER/RUDDER HAD SEPARATED IN FLIGHT AND WAS FOUND ABOUT 75 FT FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE PILOT WAS NOT RATED IN GYROPLANES OR ROTORCRAFT; HE HAD RECEIVED 2 HOURS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION IN A GYROPLANE OVER SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT; HE HAD NOT BEEN ENDORSED FOR SOLO FLIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT AND SPEED PLACED IT IN THE CATEGORY OF AN AIRCRAFT, IT WAS NOT REGISTERED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 532 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: TX04
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 6,540 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: ovct
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from ELP, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.