Amateur-built MONGOOSE A accident near Boulder City, Nevada, October 5, 1991
On October 5, 1991 at about 9:48 pm local time, a amateur-built MONGOOSE A (gyroplane), registered N7143K, was destroyed in an accident near Boulder City, Nevada (Dry Lake airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF AN INADEQUATE TAKEOFF AREA WHICH WAS TOO SHORT FOR THE PREVAILING CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 1991 · about 9:48 pm local time
- Place
- Boulder City, Nevada · Dry Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MONGOOSE A
- Registration
- N7143K · no longer on the register · serial 1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT'S MED CERT WAS EXPIRED & HE DID NOT HOLD A ROTORCRAFT CATEGORY RATING. DRG AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE, STRONG ROTATIONAL SIGNATURES WERE EVIDENT ON BOTH THE PROP & MAIN ROTOR BLADES. NO ACFT SYS ABNORMALITIES WERE FND DRG THE EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE. WHEEL TRACKS & IMPACT GND SCARS WERE FND ON THE DRY LAKE BED SURFACE. THREE TIRE TRACKS MATCHING THE DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY OF THE LNDG GEAR WERE FND EXTENDING FOR A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 150 YDS. AN ADDITIONAL 15 YDS OF MAIN GEAR ONLY TRACKS WERE FND, WHICH TERMINATED AT A BERM. HVY GOUGE MARKS WERE NOTED ON THE TOP OF THE BERM, WHICH MATCHED ALL 3 LNDG GEAR. ABOUT 105 YDS BEYOND THE BERM, A GND IMPACT CRATER WAS OBSERVED, FOLLOWED BY A DISTURBANCE IN THE DIRT WHICH CULMINATED IN THE GYROCOPTER WRECKAGE. THE GYROCOPTER HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED AN AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE IN ANY CATEGORY.
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
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 113 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 113 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.