Amateur-built LITTLE WING AUTOGYRO accident near Little Rock, Arkansas, October 21, 1994
On October 21, 1994 at about 8:00 pm local time, a amateur-built LITTLE WING AUTOGYRO (gyroplane), registered N45LW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Little Rock, Arkansas (North Little Rock Muni airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 FRACTURED TAIL WHEEL MOUNTING BRACKET AND LOOSE TAILWHEEL. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT TESTING AFTER EXPERIENCING TAIL WHEEL SHIMMY ON THE PRIOR TEST FLIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 1994 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Little Rock, Arkansas · North Little Rock Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built LITTLE WING AUTOGYRO LITTLE WIN
- Registration
- N45LW · registry record · serial LW-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
A HOMEBUILT GYROPLANE ROLLED INVERTED DURING LANDING ON A CONCRETE RUNWAY. THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN WAS ON THE TWO FRONT MAIN LANDING GEAR, AND AS THE TAIL WHEEL CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT TURNED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SWERVED TO THE LEFT AND ROLLED INVERTED TO THE RIGHT CAUSING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A FRACTURED TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY MOUNTING BRACKET AND LOOSE TAIL WHEEL. THE PILOT EXPERIENCED 'TAIL WHEEL SHIMMY' DURING GROUND TAXI TESTING THE PREVIOUS DAY.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 1,400 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 1,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 3,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from LIT, 5 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.
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.