Amateur-built TWINSTAR accident near Paducah, Kentucky, August 25, 1998
On August 25, 1998 at about 9:00 pm local time, a amateur-built TWINSTAR (gyroplane), registered N72DE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paducah, Kentucky (Farrington Airpark airport). It was an instructional 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
Failure of a through-bolt that attached the lateral control arms to the yoke assembly, due to unanticipated rotor brake forces through the flight control system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 1998 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Paducah, Kentucky · Farrington Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built TWINSTAR
- Registration
- N72DE · registry record · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The gyroplane was on short final, about 15 feet above the ground, when it went into an uncommanded right turn and right roll. The heading changed 180 degrees, and the gyroplane impacted sod near the runway threshold. The gyroplane had a rotor brake mechanism which was activated by pushing the cyclic control full forward. A through-bolt which had attached the two lateral control arms to the yoke assembly, was discovered missing, and the right lateral control arm had separated from the yoke assembly. The kit manufacturer was considering implementing a clamp-type rotor brake system, much like a bicycle's, to prevent rotor brake forces from passing through the flight control system.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 168 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 71 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 937 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, August 13, 1998; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FIO at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,915 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from PAH, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC98LA172.