Amateur-built RAF2000 accident near Stoutsville, Ohio, June 22, 2003
On June 22, 2003 at about 4:00 pm local time, a amateur-built RAF2000 (gyroplane), registered N186S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stoutsville, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Separation of the engine computer wire and connector, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 2003 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Stoutsville, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RAF2000
- Registration
- N186S · no longer on the register · serial H2-00-11-479
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The gyrocopter's engine lost partial power while in cruise flight. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude, and made a forced landing to a hillside, where the gyrocopter rolled over. The pilot, who was also the builder, determined that the axle shock absorber on the main landing gear strut had put pressure on the engine computer wire. Continuous movement of the strut had pulled the wire and connecter apart. The pilot replaced the wire and connecter, and re-routed the cable, plus put a Tyrap around the connecter. The engine was subsequently started without difficulty.
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: 778 hours in all; 117 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,540 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru EJ22 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CYO Circleville OH at 3:45 pm
- Destination: 62OH Bramen OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Observation at 11:53 am from LHQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N186S 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.