NTSB Factual Report

On October 20, 2003, about 1430 eastern daylight time, an amateur built BRC 540C gyrocopter, N540CX, was substantially damaged while landing at Leesburg Executive Airport (JYO), Leesburg, Virginia. The certificated commercial pilot and pilot rated passenger/owner were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The pilot stated that the owner was neither rated nor current to fly the gyrocopter. The pilot was seated in the right seat, and the owner was seated in the left seat. The rotor blades had recently been re-balanced, and the pilot and owner were conducting local test flights in the airport traffic pattern. The owner flew a left hand traffic pattern for runway 17 at JYO, and the pilot took control of the gyrocopter to make a full stop landing. During the next circuit, the owner flew another left hand pattern for runway 17, and the pilot took control of the gyrocopter for touchdown. Shortly after touchdown, the gyrocopter yawed right, rolled left, and came to rest on its left side about 10 feet from the right edge of the runway. The rotor system and left fuselage sustained substantial damage.

The pilot further stated that it was possible his feet became entangled in the rudder pedals.

The owner stated that after touchdown, the gyrocopter began to drift right. The pilot attempted to correct the drift by depressing the left rudder pedal. However, the pilot accidentally depressed the owner's right rudder pedal, rather than his own left rudder pedal.

The reported wind at JYO, at 1424, was from 210 degrees at 4 knots.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot in command's failure to maintain directional control and his inadvertent activation of the right rudder pedal.