Taylor Air Command 532 ELITE accident near Libby, Montana, August 4, 1991
On August 4, 1991 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Taylor Air Command 532 ELITE (gyroplane), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N70300, was destroyed in an accident near Libby, Montana (Libby airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF DUE TO THE PILOT'S TOTAL LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 1991 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Libby, Montana · Libby · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylor Air Command 532 ELITE, amateur-built
- Registration
- N70300 · no longer on the register · serial 8-8-88
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE PILOT WAS ON HIS FIRST TAKEOFF IN THE HOMEBUILT GYROPLANE WHEN THE ACFT MANEUVERED ERRATICALLY, ROLLED INVERTED, DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 376 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 44 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 352 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S59 Libby MT at 7:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from FCA, 50 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.
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.