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MIA91LA185

1991-07-13 · QUITMAN, Mississippi, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 23M

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT IN COMMANDS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL RESULTING IN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT AND AN IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN.

Factual narrative

WITNESSES STATED GYROCOPTER BEGAN UP AND DOWN MOTION OR PORPOISING SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. THIS CONTINUED UNTIL AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND PITCHED DOWN AT WHICH TIME IT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO OPERATE UNTIL GROUND IMPACT. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY FAA INSPECTORS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE STRUCTURE, FLIGHT CONTROLS, OR ENGINE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES HAD FLEXED UP AND DOWN AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE PROPELLER. AVAILABLE RECORDS INDICATED THE PILOT HAD APPROXIMATELY 5 HOURS IN GYROCOPTERS WITH NO EVIDENCE OF HAVING RECEIVED ANY TRAINING IN GYROCOPTERS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_MIA91LA185.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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