At 11:24 PST, an amateur-built RAF 2000 GTX SE gyrocopter crashed on the runway at Perkins Field Airport, killing the pilot. The pilot had recently purchased the aircraft and this was his first flight in it. A witness saw the pilot in closed traffic, porpoising through the air on downwind. During the base leg, the gyrocopter appeared to be flying straight and level. The witness then saw the gyrocopter turn on final, saw it porpoising again, then saw it turn on its side and fall inverted to the ground.
March 27, Overton, Nev. / RAF 2000 gyrocopter
At 11:24 PST, an amateur-built RAF 2000 GTX SE gyrocopter crashed on the runway at Perkins Field Airport, killing the pilot. The pilot had recently purchased the aircraft and this was his first flight in it. A witness saw the pilot in closed traffic, porpoising through the air on downwind. During the base leg, the gyrocopter appeared to be flying straight and level. The witness then saw the gyrocopter turn on final, saw it porpoising again, then saw it turn on its side and fall inverted to the ground....
Key Takeaways:
- An amateur-built RAF 2000 GTX SE gyrocopter crashed on the runway at Perkins Field Airport, resulting in the pilot's death.
- The fatal incident occurred during the pilot's first flight in the recently purchased aircraft.
- A witness observed the gyrocopter "porpoising" on downwind and final approach before it turned on its side and fell inverted.
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