Air Command International, Inc C-147A accident near Caddo Mills, Texas, July 15, 1998
On July 15, 1998 at about 12:45 pm local time, a Air Command International, Inc C-147A, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N147GY, was destroyed in an accident near Caddo Mills, Texas (Caddo Mills Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
The pilot's failure to maintain rotor rpm while maneuvering, which resulted in the main rotor blades contacting the tail section of the gyroplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 1998 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Caddo Mills, Texas · Caddo Mills Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air Command International, Inc C-147A, amateur-built
- Registration
- N147GY · no longer on the register · serial 001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While maneuvering during a test flight, the gyroplane impacted terrain following a loss of rotor rpm. Witnesses reported that the gyroplane departed the runway to the south and made a 180 degree turn to a northerly heading. At the mid-point of the runway, the gyroplane entered a left turn. A witness stated that he noted a decay of rotor blade speed and then observed the main rotor blades contact the tail section. A second witness stated that he heard 'rotor blades slowing down.' The gyroplane impacted terrain in a nose low attitude and was consumed by fire. The airframe and engine were examined, and no anomalies were found that would have prevented operation of the 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
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: gyroplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 60 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 28, 1998; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Mazda 13B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 7F3 at 11:30 am
- Runway 17R, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from TKI, 20 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.