Amateur-built ECLIPSE 10 accident near Kanab, Utah, November 21, 2018
On November 21, 2018 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 2016 amateur-built ECLIPSE 10 (gyroplane), registered N512EA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Kanab, Utah. 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 directional control during takeoff from an unimproved dirt road.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 2018 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kanab, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ECLIPSE 10, built 2016
- Registration
- N512EA · registry record · serial 05164841014
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during takeoff from an unimproved soft, dirt road, the tires started to "dig in," and the gyroplane veered left, he overcorrected, and the gyroplane rolled onto its left side. The gyroplane sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and mast. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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 takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Roll over during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 284 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 20, 2018
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 914UL (piston); 284 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1L8 Hurricane UT at 8:15 pm
- Destination: Kanab UT
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 pm from KKNB, 12 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.
Other NTSB records under N512EA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.