| Crash location | 34.796666°N, 89.920834°W |
| Nearest city | Hernando, MS
34.823987°N, 89.993702°W 4.5 miles away |
| Tail number | N7481ZK |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 02 Dec 2017 |
| Aircraft type | Kevin Leue Sparrow Hawk |
| Additional details: | None |
On December 2, 2017, about 1700 central standard time, an experimental amateur-built Sparrow Hawk gyroplane, N481ZK, impacted terrain near Eagles Ridge Airport (MS9), Hernando, Mississippi. The sport pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The gyroplane was destroyed by a postcrash fire, and was being operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a local personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the flight.
There were no known witnesses to the departure or accident. According to an individual who was hunting, about 1700, he heard a loud sound similar to a gunshot, but dismissed it as another hunter. He left the area about dusk, and while walking, spotted a grass fire. He walked to a nearby home to tell the homeowner to call 911 to report the fire. First responders who arrived to extinguish the fire subsequently observed the wreckage.
The wreckage was recovered from the accident site and retained for further examination.