Monday, August 10, 2015

1 dead, 1 injured in small Erickson-built RAF 2000 GT gyrocopter crash near Dakota City, Iowa















 








UPDATED 4:31 PM CDT Aug 10, 2015

DAKOTA CITY, Iowa —

Humboldt County authorities said a small, experimental gyrocopter crashed in a rural area Sunday night, killing the pilot and injuring a passenger. 







The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said the gyrocopter crashed around 7 p.m. in the front yard of a home at 2045 K Road, about 1.5 miles north of Dakota City.

Rescue crews found two men in the wreckage. A passenger, Mike Chapman, 65, of Humboldt, was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Des Moines. 

His condition has not been released. The pilot, Larry Erickson, 58, also of Humboldt, was transported to a hospital in Humboldt where he was later pronounced dead.

The sheriff’s office said it appears the gyrocopter suddenly lost altitude and struck a tree before coming to rest in the yard. 

A gyrocopter is an experimental aircraft that resembles a helicopter.

The National Traffic Safety Bureau is investigating the crash with the Federal Aviation Administration.


Date:09-AUG-2015
Time:Night
Type:RAF 2000 GT
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N315LK
C/n / msn: 6456
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:0
Airplane damage: Unknown
Location:Humbolt County, NE of Humbolt, IA -   United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature:Unknown
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Narrative:
The aircraft, an experimental Erickson built RAF 2000 GT, impacted a tree and open field terrain in Humbolt County northeast of Humbolt, Iowa. The gyrocopter sustained unreported damage and the pilot received fatal injuries. The passenger onboard the aircraft was seriously injured.
Sources

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=178507
http://m.kcci.com/news/1-dead-1-injured-in-small-helicopter-crash/34633550
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2015/08/10/gyrocopter-pilot-fatality-humboldt-county-iowa/31421895/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=315LK

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_Air_Force_RAF_2000