Just found this old accident from England in 1997, and it brought back memories of Steves accident

Where Steve may have accidentally assembled his rotor head incorrectly himself, the English accident was evidently created by someone incorrectly assembling the groups glider head and never owning up to it.

It just goes to show how careful we all have to be when disassembling and reassembling our rotor heads (and other major components/controls) and most certainly that a PROPER preflight inspection is done before first flight of the day..... if people distract you, ask them to give you 1/4 hour and start again.... do it thoroughly. After the initial 'daily inspection' a general check of the machine and focusing on the critical components may be enough before subsequent flights. If you do a daily inspection and then have a 'less than soft' landing.... do another thurough inspection. If you decide to trailer your machine to a different airstrip after doing a daily, when getting the machine off the trailer, do another FULLdaily inspection. If you trailer the machine back to the original strip again the same day.... do another FULL daily inspection. Generally, a gyro will not suffer any damage in flight, it can suffer in a hard landing, might suffer on a rough take off strip run, but will most likely be damaged on a trailer, sometimes even in a hanger. Don't think because your machine is stored in a hanger, that someone might believe they need your rotor head bearing more than you do..... or might 'borrow' a bolt or two, fully meaning to put it back before you need it

I personally don't like trailering with rotor on, no matter what the supports are for the rotor..... doing a proper daily involves spinning the rotor head to listen for smooth/rough in the bearing.... and lifting the head up and down to feel for play.... you cant do either with the rotor on. I also like to turn the teeter bolt and its top hats, so the bearings (or bushes) don't always wear in the same place.... also I can clean, inspect the bolt and put a little fresh grease. None of that happens with rotor on.

If you are rebuilding your rotor head..... permanently mark the assembled pieces before disassembly (dot punches or letter/number stamps.... sharpie will wear/wash off) take digital pics before and after..... think how the bearing is retained and how the head looks with the bearing block in correctly (if you can see all of the bearing above torque tube, under bearing block, nothing is holding it in)

Treat preflight inspections like your life depends on it.... because it does!

In our gyro group... we talked about Steve's gyro accident (the rotor head being assembled wrong and coming apart.

We decided that EVERY pre-flight needed two sets of eyes on it. I suspect folks are getting lax, I am not out at the hanger much lately... happens. However IMO it is a good idea.

Yeah, I just noticed the similarities between the 1997 accident and Steves.... so I thought I would add this as a reminder to all of us.

Yes, 2 sets of eyes are good, but not always available if flying alone. We just have to be aware of how serious we have to take our preflights and daily's. especially after trailering, servicing, modifying or leaving our machines unattended like in hangers out of our and other peoples view.

I have made it a conscious decision, not to look in case there is something wrong, but to find what IS wrong...... then I am nicely surprised when I don't find anything..... I treat my machine like it is 'guilty until proven innocent' .... there are only so many critical things to look at/for, it doesn't take long, as long as no distractions whilst doing it.

I like all nuts on one side of the machine where possible and yellow enamel safety paint so it is easy to see no nuts have moved. I used to worry leaving my machine in a sheering shed on a farm, I was lucky only once an asshole neighbour who complained about the noise of my machine had put water in my gas tank, luckily I had a boat water separator/filter in line and I spotted it when draining the bowl and found a disgarded water bottle near the door. Assholes will interfere with machines, so look for evidence of tampering..... paranoid, maybe, still alive..... yes! Now, when I leave a machine even on the trailer, I cable tie the gas cap. Yes I have to cut it off to gas up for next days flying, but if the tie is missing, time to check....

I had to stop leaving my machine there and payed the neighbours new diesel 4 wheel drive a visit with some sugar and ground up dried coconut.... should have heard him whinge to the dealer for warranty repairs when it blew up.....expensive rebuild ensued


Look and look hard!

Good post MUZ... IMO this is something we need to be reminded of regularly. Safety, and the small steps which can prevent a large accident, are just reality in aviation.

IMO it is just human nature to become lax about inspections, caution, and safety in aviation... a habit we all potentially can get into.
Again, IMO, regular reminders to keep us sharp is a good idea.

At PeachState hanger, many a time I have become 'that guy' when I saw one or another getting too excited about flying...
I am usually the one that volunteers to hold the front of the gyro, or pull the chocks, or something.... I am always looking for details to suggest attention be paid to. I suspect above all the complaining... folks appreciate it... they keep asking me to help...

Hope to get out to the hanger this weekend... have not been in a while (it is a 3 hour round trip). I think I heard there is a new (not new machine, new to the hanger) gyro that is supposed to show up this Saturday. Would like to see it and get to know the owner.

Pics if I can... may have to ask folks to turn them right side up... :(

No worries, If I see pics upside down or sideways I fix them up

I have seen pilots get really pedantic with a written check list on a clip board, ticking things off as they look at them..... I prefer to just look, there is only so many things needing checking, if not interrupted it is easy to complete a thurough visual and wiggle inspection... especially when one knows the machine intimately.

I personally find that relying on a written check list risks something not thought of to be written on the checklist..... gets missed!

Like I said somewhere else, I don't look to see if anything is wrong.... I look to find the fault, nice surprise if I don't find it, coz it aint there