| Crash location | 40.030000°N, 82.461944°W |
| Nearest city | Newark, OH
40.088120°N, 82.425710°W 4.4 miles away |
| Tail number | N90413 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 12 Jan 2008 |
| Aircraft type | Newbold Newbold 2000 |
| Additional details: | None |
On January 12, 2008, at 1527 eastern standard time, a Newbold 2000, N90413, an amateur-built gyrocopter, experienced a hard landing at the Newark-Heath Airport, Newark, Ohio. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and the student (private) pilot were not injured. The gyrocopter was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight originated at 1500.
The CFI reported he was demonstrating a ballooned landing when the accident occurred. He stated he intentionally flared the gyroplane "too high" at an altitude of 10 feet above the runway. The CFI stated the student quickly corrected so he added a "little more flare" overlooking that the gyrocopter had already begun to settle. He reported the gyrocopter then descended vertically making hard contact with the runway. The left landing gear axle separated and the gyrocopter rolled onto its left side.
The CFI reported he will no longer teach the recovery of an improper flare at low altitude and will put greater emphasis on the understanding and recovery of being "behind the power curve."
Examination of the gyrocopter revealed the left landing gear axle was separated, the main rotor blades were damaged, the rotor mast assembly was bent, and the engine propeller blades were sheared.
The CFI's failure to maintain control of the gyrocopter which resulted in settling with power and the subsequent hard landing. Factors associated with the accident were the CFI's decision to excessively flare the gyrocopter at a low altitude.