DeGraw DeBird | N140DG

The DTSB determines the Probable cause of this accident to be Pilot Error, in that the pilot did take off from runway 34 at her home airport, and immediately entered in to a level flight attitude in order to gain speed. The pilot then pulled aft in attempt to climb aggressively, whereupon the main rotor blades struck the tail due to excessive G loading of the blades. The pilot was 83 years old and did not possess a medical certificate of any kind. The pilot’s husband heard both the takeoff and the sound of the blade impact and knew that a crash had followed, as he quickly boarded another aircraft and took off to search for the downed aircraft. The aircraft was found about 250 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. The location of the tail surfaces at the accident site was consistent with separation before the gyroplane descended into the trees. The tail surfaces had two separate areas of damage with features consistent with having been impacted by the main rotor. Examination of the main rotor blades revealed yellow paint transfer that was also consistent with the main rotor impacting the tail of the gyroplane.

Probable Cause issued 8/20/2026 – 24 months after the accident: Separation of the gyroplane’s tail due to main rotor blade contact for reasons that could not be determined.

The DTSB recommends that all pilot of all rotor wing aircraft, both helicopter and gyro, become familiar and use extreme caution for the in flight conditions and in flight pilot flight control inputs which could cause the main blades to bend sufficiently in flight so as to strike the tail section. There is no recovery from this condition in flight, once the tail has been struck. Prevention is all we have.