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With only 20 hours of sporadic flight training, methamphetamine and THC in his system and no seatbelt, a pilot took off in his Gyroplane only to never left the ground. The NTSB said given the pilot's lack of experience and skill and decision to takeoff with a tailwind, it was impossible to determine if the substances found in his system contributed to this deadly 2021 crash.
The 66-year-old pilot purchased the AutoGyro Cavalon gyroplane in January 2020. With few gyroplane flight instructors in the country, the pilot would travel from his home state of Oklahoma to Texas, where he purchased the aircraft, for flying lessons on the weekend. He had been flight training intermittently for about one year, flying a few hours and returning home for about a month. The pilot took his last flight with the flight instructor in Texas in about July or August of 2021. The instructor told the NTSB that during the last lesson together the pilot was frustrated that the gyroplane's battery was dead, opting to take it back home with him in Oklahoma. The instructor in Texas told the pilot he needed more training before his first solo flight and the pilot told him he had another instructor lined up in Oklahoma, but did not share who it was. He shared with the NTSB that he was concerned the pilot would fly without additional flight training.
Two days before the deadly crash, the pilot took his first solo flight, with one witness sharing he landed the aircraft from the opposite direction and into the wind. On Oct 18, a witness told NTSB investigators the pilot seemed to be in good spirits and wanted to go flying. Witnesses observed the gyroplane positioned heading north on a 300-yard-long private field. One witness told investigators he the wind was blowing from the south at about 10-15 miles per hour, which is a tailwind. He told another employee that the pilot could not takeoff unless he was going into the wind, which he was not. The pilot added full engine power and started the takeoff roll toward the north. The gyroplane never lifted off the ground, instead impacting a barbed wire fence at the end of the field.
The aircraft hit the barbed wire fence on the upslope side of an open field. There were striations in the dirt about 100 feet beyond the fence, consistent with rotor blade strikes. About 25 feet beyond the striations the gyroplane came to rest upright and parallel to the fence line. Two witnesses jumped in a vehicle and drove to the crash site and saw the pilot on the ground, calling their boss and 911 and shutting off the engine from the cockpit. The pilot was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the plane, the blunt force trauma to his head and neck killing him.
All major components were still attached and there was a large hole in the front windscreen. The seatbelts were secured to the airframe and were not clasped, indicating the pilot was not wearing one. Flight continuity was established from the cockpit controls and the respective flight control surfaces. There were bent and fractured propeller blades and fragments were scattered throughout the debris field.
According to the AutoGyro Cavalon Pilot Operating Handbook under Environmental Limitations, the maximum tailwind component for takeoff and landing is five knots. The NTSB said at the time of the crash the wind was from 160 degrees at eight knots and gusting to 17 knots. The NTSB found that the probable cause was the pilot's lack of experience and his decision to takeoff with a tailwind. As a result of the tailwind, the gyroplane did not generate enough lift before it hit the fence. The NTSB said that contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to wear a seatbelt, which would have reduced his level of injury.
The toxicology report revealed methamphetamine, amphetamine and THC in his urine and blood. The NTSB said the high methamphetamine blood level was consistent with methamphetamine abuse, although the level did not indicate whether he was experiencing early drug effects or later effects. Early methamphetamine drug effects include feeling alert, euphoric, invulnerable and often leads to high-risk decisions. Later methamphetamine effects include feeling restless, disorganized, uncoordinated and possibly result in cravings for more drugs. The report also indicated the pilot had used THC, although it is impossible to infer the specific impairing effects from the measured levels of THC found, or to predict how the THC and methamphetamine effects may have interacted.The toxicology report
Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant drug and amphetamine is its metabolite. Both methamphetamine and amphetamine are available as prescription medications to treat conditions like ADHD, narcolepsy and obesity. Both methamphetamine and amphetamine are Schedule II controlled substances and have a high potential for abuse and dependence. At higher doses, these drugs have impairing effects on cognition, perception and psychomotor function. Even at low dosages these drugs can have an impact on decision making and lead to higher-risk choices. Both of these drugs are considered "do not issue/do not fly" medications by the FAA. Delta-9-THC, or THC, is the primary psychoactive chemical in cannabis and hashish and can be ingested or smoked. THC can be used recreationally or medicinally and is a controlled substance. The FAA considers THC unsuitable for flying, regardless of individual state cannabis laws.
The NTSB's findings indicated environmental issues, like the tailwind, and personnel issues, like the decision-making of the pilot. The pilot had about 20 hours of flight experience, had not undergone a medical examination with the FAA and was not certified. Flying with a gyroplane does not require a medical examination, but solo flying requires a student certificate and an instructor endorsement. He had neither.
The NTSB said given the pilot's overall lack of experience and decision to takeoff with a tailwind, he did not have the required skills to safely conduct a solo flight. With his lack of experience and skill, the NTSB said it was impossible to determine if the drugs played a role in the crash.