Air & Space 18A accident near Shreveport, Louisiana, August 29, 1990
On August 29, 1990 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Air & Space 18A (gyroplane), registered N6132S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Shreveport, Louisiana (Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO FOLLOW PUBLISHED TAKEOFF PROCEDURES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 1990 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Shreveport, Louisiana · Regional
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air & Space 18A
- Registration
- N6132S · no longer on the register · serial 18-39
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PIC STATED THAT AT LIFTOFF A SEVERE LATERAL VIBRATION OCCURRED CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE GYROPLANE. WITNESSES REPORTED AN ERRATIC PORPOISING PITCHING MOTION. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 1,500 FEET AFTER CONTROL WAS LOST, WHICH WAS AT THE POINT OF ATTEMPTED LIFTOFF. AS A RESULT OF FLAPPING, TWO OF THE THREE ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE PROPELLER AND RUDDER. ALTHOUGH NOT RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER, THE FRONT SEAT WAS OCCUPIED BY A PILOT RATED PASSENGER WITH NO GYROPLANE EXPERIENCE. DURING SUBSEQUENT FLIGHT TESTING, TAKEOFF WAS PERFORMED UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS. IMPROPER TECHNIQUES DURING ATTEMPTED LIFTOFF RESULTED IN ERRATIC OSCILLATION AND ROTOR RPM DECAY. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS DISCOVERED.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: gyroplane; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,100 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 68 in the last 90 days; 49 in the last 30 days; 9,100 as pilot in command; 1,860 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,004 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 2, 1990; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: FAA (Btr Fsdo)
The flight
- Departed from: SHV at 7:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 6,200 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from SHV, 1 miles away
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.
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.