NTSB Factual Report

On July 18, 1994, at 2055 eastern daylight time, there was a mid-air collision between an experimental home built gyroplane, N63EA, and an unregistered, ultralight, gyroplane, at Hook Field Municipal Airport, Middletown, Ohio. N63EA received substantial damage and the ultralight gyroplane was destroyed. The pilot of N63EA was not injured and the pilot of the ultralight was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plans had been filed for the flights which operated under 14 CFR Part 91.

In the NTSB Accident Report, the pilot stated:

...8:30 P.M. I departed, headed south, home field (Midd, Oh.) flew wide pattern around airport. About 8:45 Ron Deaton departed, headed south and turned west flying west of river. I observed him for a short time west of airport.

At approx 9 P.M. I was in close pattern over river west of runway turned base, then final, near edge of runway at approx 100 feet altitude from ground, my aircraft struck (from my left)...Near broadside, his rotor hit my prop, rudder, vert stabilizer and left wheel (sitting my left)

My aircraft went near out of control, but I was able to stabilize and land safely in medium between runway and taxiway, 1/8 mile from approach end of runway....

A witness reported:

...One gyro copter was lined up on final for runway 23 and descending for landing. The other gyro [copter] was level and turning from downwind to [right] base (runway 26). They collided north of approach end of [runway] 23. The top gyro had some glide and landed north of the north intersection in the grass between the taxiway and runway. The lower gyro had no glide and dropped, hitting the ground in the grass between the runway and taxiway at the north end....

Neither aircraft was equipped with a radio.

The Middletown Airport was an uncontrolled airport with two runways. Runway 5/23 had a hard surface, was 100 feet wide, and 6100 feet long. Runway 8/26 had a turf surface, was 300 feet wide, and 2984 feet long.

In addition to airplanes, ultralights resided at the airport. According to the airport manager, the flight path of unltralights would keep then north of runway 5/23.

According to the airport facility directory, for Hook Field Municipal Airport, Middletown, Ohio, the published traffic pattern for runway 23 and 26 are right hand traffic. The remarks section contains the following:

...CAUTION: ...Ultralights do not fly south of runway 26....

The FAA reported that both pilots had based their aircraft at the airport and were familiar with the airport.

An autopsy was conducted on the fatally injured pilot by Richard P. Burkhardt, M.D., Coroner of Butler County, Hamilton, Ohio. A test for drugs and alcohol was negative.

NTSB Probable Cause

Inadequate visual lookout by both pilots which resulted in a mid-air collsion. A factor was the failure of the pilot of the ultralight to stay north of runway 26.