| Crash location | 41.150000°N, 86.062500°W |
| Nearest city | Mentone, IN
41.173377°N, 86.034719°W 2.2 miles away |
| Tail number | N571UJ |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 03 Aug 2017 |
| Aircraft type | James F Hake Mto Sport |
| Additional details: | None |
On August 3, 2017, about 0917 central daylight time, a Hake MTO Sport gyroplane, N571UJ, was substantially damaged when it tipped over on landing at Mentone Airport (C92), Mentone, Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The local flight originated about 0930.
According to the pilot's accident report, when he touched down on the main landing gear, he applied "moderate" right rudder to maintain runway alignment and to avoid slipping. He stated he should have raised the nose to reduce airspeed, but instead he lowered the nose and struck the runway. The pilot explained that on this particular gyroplane, the nose wheel and rudder are interconnected; that is, the nose wheel does not pivot on a caster. When the gyroplane touched down, it 'jerked" abruptly to the right and tipped over. The pilot concluded, "This accident was the result of pilot error. There was no malfunction [of the gyroplane, flight controls, or engine]."
The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper touchdown attitude, which resulted in a loss of directional control during the landing roll.