Amateur-built GYROPLANE accident near Newport, Washington, July 30, 1989
On July 30, 1989 at about 6:45 pm local time, a amateur-built GYROPLANE, registered N14HS, was destroyed in an accident near Newport, Washington (Shago Brothers airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN AND THE DELAY IN ABORTING THE TAKEOFF.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 1989 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Newport, Washington · Shago Brothers · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GYROPLANE
- Registration
- N14HS · registry record · serial 0001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A TAKEOFF FROM A ROUGH GRASSY AIRSTRIP, THE GYROPLANE HAD NOT ATTAINED SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED FOR LIFTOFF AT MID-FIELD. THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE GYROPLANE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ROOM TO STOP BEFORE COLLIDING WITH A FENCE AND A BUILDING. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE GYROPLANE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
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: 692 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier 532 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1S6 Priest River ID at 6:10 pm
- Destination: Unknown
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 700 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 SEA89LA146.