Amateur-built ELA AVIACION 10 ECLI accident near Bristol, Tennessee, October 26, 2017
On October 26, 2017 at about 4:40 pm local time, a 2016 amateur-built ELA AVIACION 10 ECLI (gyroplane), registered N230MG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Bristol, Tennessee (Tri-Cities airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain lateral control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2017 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Bristol, Tennessee · Tri-Cities · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ELA AVIACION 10 ECLI NO SERIES, built 2016
- Registration
- N230MG · no longer on the register · serial 1014
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the gyroplane reported that, when he returned to the airport for landing, the wind was calm. After touchdown, the gyroplane was on a slow roll when the tower controller asked the pilot if he wanted to exit at intersection Charlie. The pilot was about to reply to the controller when the gyroplane unexpectedly tipped over and came to rest on its side. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 1,570 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 1,480 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 25, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 104 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 19, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,234 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 914 UL (piston); 118 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TRI Bristol TN at 3:40 pm
- Destination: TRI Bristol TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KTRI, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 28, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.