Amateur-built Air Command Elite accident near Cincinnati, Ohio, August 7, 2005
On August 7, 2005 at about 6:55 pm local time, a amateur-built Air Command Elite (gyroplane), registered N2416P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cincinnati, Ohio (Blue Ash Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare following a partial loss of engine power, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor was the partial loss of engine power for unknown reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2005 · about 6:55 pm local time
- Place
- Cincinnati, Ohio · Blue Ash Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Air Command Elite
- Registration
- N2416P · no longer on the register · serial AC2SBST0
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, about three-quarters down the runway and at an altitude of 50 feet, the gyrocopter's engine surged, then experienced a "partial, but significant loss of power." The pilot reduced the power to idle and attempted to land on the remaining runway. He flared too high, the main landing gear hit the runway "hard," and the gyrocopter's nose pitched down, collapsing the nose wheel and shearing it off. The gyrocopter then rolled about 90 degrees onto its right side, and skidded to a stop just before reaching the end of the runway. The gyrocopter was powered by a non-certified engine, and the reason for the partial loss of engine power was not determined. The pilot reported a total of 76 hours of flight time, of which, 72 hours were in gyrocopters.
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: rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 76 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 48 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2005; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,630 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru 1522 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ISZ Cincinnati OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,499 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from LUK, 12 miles away
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.
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.