This is a repost from the other forum. Just to keep everyone in the loop.

I have decided to post the accident report on its own to try to keep the comments on track.

After our meeting today a record group attended lunch at the local BBQ place.

Steve Weir was re elected president and decided to start the afternoon off with a flight in the Dragonfly.

Many of us were seeing him and Tony having a good time flying over the grass strip when someone
said Steve just went down. I looked over seeing the black smoke rise and the full set of blades spinning into the sky and floating down wind about 300 yards.

I jumped into my Truck with Jeb and got on scene seconds after it happened.

Soon after we arrived two helicopters and R22 and an R44 landed on scene to help but it was clear it was over.

Steve had crashed after full rotorhead separation about 200 feet in the air. The rotor spun skyward as high as 100 meters above separation then the wind floated them into the trees half way down the runway.

The impact was mast first into the mud in a cut corn field the seat tank burst into flames and the tail impacted the prop stopping the engine instantly. The small pre rotator engine still had fuel in the tank. Both carbs were torn off due to the impact.

After the initial pictures and police work they allowed A few of us including Jeb, Me ,Danny, Mike Stone, and others to look at the rotor head.

After clearing mud from the head and testing the bearing for problems we found that the head looked intact but the ring gear and blades were gone.

Mike Stone happened to have a copy of the assembly manual from butterfly on the head. He had a hunch the block the bearing went in was on upside down.

At this point we knew we needed to find the blades. The R44 was used to over fly the field and after some time I was able to locate them about 500 yards from the impact location.

After close examination of the rotor head and as a team of friends and gyro brothers we all agreed that this was the problem. The bearing was pressed into the block and re assembled upside down. This allowed the head to separate because the flange was not between the bearing and the mast as it should have been. Instead it was on the rotor head side therefore only friction was holding the rotor onto the bearing.

The FAA was helpful and police and response teams cooperative with our help in the case. We informed them that we were part of a response team to aid in these findings to help others in the Gyro community to be safe. They seemed to be grateful for our insight into how this happened and fully agreed as to the findings.

This was not Pilot error or mechanical.

This was assembly error!

Thank you Desmon very much for the report and for being there for all. I mean for all who ever needs you!!!!!

FOR THOSE HERE .... without access to the other forum .... I'm reposting Mike Grossans info about a memorial donation to PRA training/education in Steve's name ... in lieu of flowers!

[b]
[QUOTE=Mike484;549937]Steve’s family wishes that in lieu of flowers, to please direct any contributions to the PRA in Steve’s name. On the donations page there is a place to insert Steve’s name and the amount you wish to donate. Tim O’Conner (PRA Vice President) and Doug Barker (PRA President) have been notified and will be watching for the contributions. They have been asked that the funds be directed towards education and training which Steve was very passionate about. The Board of Directors will be meeting tomorrow and this will be discussed.

Here’s the link: http://www.pra.org/donation.aspx?i=48

Thank you you all so much for your continued support.[/QUOTE][/b]