Amateur-built AIR COMMANDER LRT accident near Tybee Island, Georgia, May 14, 2016
On May 14, 2016 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 2013 amateur-built AIR COMMANDER LRT (gyroplane), registered N962GT, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Tybee Island, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 decision to perform a touch-and-go on unsuitable terrain, which resulted in a loss of directional control and a rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2016 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tybee Island, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AIR COMMANDER LRT NO SERIES, built 2013
- Registration
- N962GT · registry record · serial XM010404
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a gyroplane reported that during a touch-and-go on a sand bar, the nose wheel began to dig into soft sand. The pilot further reported that he turned the nose wheel to the left towards firmer sand, but the spring-loaded nose wheel dug further into the sand and suddenly turned "full left." Subsequently, the gyroplane rolled over to the right, which resulted in substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that the throttle quadrant friction-set screw had become loose while in-flight, but the mechanical malfunction did not occur during the touch-and-go phase of flight.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Roll over during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Decision related to condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 352 hours in all; 149 in this make and model; 352 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 21, 2016
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 250 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 14, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,130 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Yamaha Genesis 4 (piston); 150 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GA39 Savannah GA at 9:30 pm
- Destination: GA39 Savannah GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 13 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KSAV, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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 GAA16CA240.