Gyro Rotorway Midair CRASH at EAA Airventure
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- This one's personal. THough I didn't get to meet the passenger who died, Tom Volz, I did get to fly in the Rotorway with pilot Mark a few days before this horrible tragedy. On July 29th, a gyro, while in the established traffic pattern, turned back into a rotorway helicopter. The two people on the gyro survived, but Mark Peterson and Tom Volz on the helicopter died.
This is a look at what we know and a tribute to these two men who left families behind.
GoFundMe: www.gofundme.c...
TakingOff is sponsored by:
FlyingEyes - Get 10% using discount code TAKINGOFF at flyingeyesopti... We were customers before they became sponsors!
ColtenTakingOff.com www.coltenmort... - For your residential mortgage or refi needs. Run by a pilot!
67Designs- Cabin Mounts www.67d.com/ Incredibly rugged mounts for your tablets, smart phones and cameras in the airplane. Made in the US!
XeVision.com -Extreme LED Landing Lights, www.xevision.com the only competitor is the sun!
www.clemensins... - Your broker should be advocating on your behalf-call Clemens to have someone in your corner fighting for you!
Marshal Protective Services - mpsprotects.com/ Private Security Elevated!
Join our Hangar Club at takingoff.s-films.com for special previews and exclusive content.
Also, support Christy at Patreon @PilotChristy
The large METAR map on the set is from metarmaps.com/ Mention TakingOff as you go buy one!
The TakingOff Team uses Lightspeed Headsets. Support us by buying your Lightspeed through our link: www.lightspeed...
Thank you for sharing this. Tom Volz is my uncle. He loved flying and I have had the honor to attend some air shows and fly-ins with my uncle. He is badly missed. My love and condolences to Mark’s family.
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your uncle.
Thanks for this video. I have known Mark and his family for over 30 years. Mark and I did a lot of video production together, and I did the on-camera talent for the intro to your Rotoway builder's kit video with Mark. I was at AirVenture in 2021, where I reconnected with Mark. He invited me to take a ride with him (The same pattern you flew). I have flown with him many times when he lived here in the Clearwater, FL, area. There was never a finer person or pilot than Mark. My heart and prayers go out to his family. May Mark's memory be eternal.
My husband and our kids that knew Mark Peterson would like to say "Thank you from the bottom of hearts for you for posting this video. My husband and only met Tom a few times and knew the kind hearted man he was. On the other hand, Mark was my husband flight instructor. He was more than that 😢 to us. He was our family 😢. Thank you again for this opportunity to remember both Outstanding pilots.
Warm regards,
C. J. Hodges - God bless you
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for your kind words. I was family of Tom, he was a very good man even if I didn’t know him too well. We really appreciate the video :)
I am sorry to hear this loss of your loved one.
You did a good job with this one Dan. I know you were rattled by it but you did a good job honouring the situation and the life of Mark.
Thanks for the video Dan.
I was less that 100 feet from where the helicopter impacted. We had just hopped off the bus from the seaplane base. My colleague saw the accident happen whilst I heard the awful noise then looked up to see the helo falling to the ground then impact. It really was horrific. It’s incredible that the gyro ended up so far away from the helo which made it difficult to recall what had actually occurred. It was also amazing that no one was hurt on the ground. There was a lot of shrapnel and one guy was underneath the aircraft when the accident occurred. He managed to run to where we were standing and was so lucky.
I send my condolences to the families.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks Dan for addressing this sensitive issue ! Deepest condolences to the families involved !
Wow. Mark strikes me as an incredibly safe and competent pilot. It goes to show that you should ALWAYS expect the unexpected. Hopefully the gyro guys will both survive and be able to explain how this occurred.
Tom is my hero. A kind man, who loved his family, served his country, was fearless in the face of adversity (he faced down cancer, and the cancer lost) and was generous in word and deed. We are all better for knowing Tom. May his soul, and the soul of Mark rest in perpetual light, and their families be forever comforted by the amazing memories that they created together.
Very sad. I have watched lots of Marks videos on flying.
So sad, I had a good friend that lived across the lake and was a small aircraft pilot/owner. He was very serious about safety . Mark reminded me of him. Many good memories of the EAA fly in
I’m sure Mark is giving rides in heaven! RIP Mark! It was a pleasure knowing you.
As a helo enthusiast and pilot, it cuts me to the chase when a fellow aviator is killed. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of everyone involved.
Went to Airventure from Sunday through Friday and when I heard about the news of the AT6 and this happening I was devastated. Prayers to the families.
So sorry for the families loss. May God give them peace and comfort now.
It would not have been easy to do this video, you did a great job in a tough situation.
Condolences to the family and friends who are missing their loved ones.
So sorry for the loss Dan. He definitely seemed to be a very skilled pilot with a desire to teach. That heli looks amazing for a kit. Such a tragic loss. So sad for all the families involved. I hope you and the families can find peace. Safe skies my friend. 🇺🇸🛩️🚁
After 14 years volunteering this one hit hard. I was in the north 40 GAP when tower made the urgent call. “Stop all props stop all props midair over ultralights” then moving aircraft to a park space and trying to tell people they can’t fire up till all clear given. Life is short and live every moment as the last.
Wonderful explanation and tribute to Pilots Mark and Tom. I knew neither, but mourn their loss never the less. I cannot imagine how the gyro pilot must feel.
Ex Blackhawk crew chief. Over the last 15 years of flying, I’ve met several people and talked to them at SnF or Osh. Then they either crashed and died on the way home or a few weeks later near their home airports. We never know, enjoy and remember the good times and conversations. Fly safe.
Sounds like you need to stop talking to people
@@harrynelson9203 that’s difficult when we’re talking aviation. 😀
@@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity 🤣🤣🤣🤣 glad you saw the funny side of it 👍🏻🤙🏻❤️🇬🇧
Rather die younger flying then end up old living in a nursing home any day.
What has being a Ex Blackhawk crew chief got to do with going home and crashing from Snf or Osh?
We were there when the accident happened. It certainly was a sobering experience of just how quickly things can happen.
Very heartfelt presentation of a terrible tragedy. Thank you!
What a heartfelt and excellent video Dan. It will forever be enshrined on the interwebs. I can only imagine realizing the guy you just flew with was involved in a fatal aviation accident. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the fallen pilots.
Thank you for this. Mark and Tom will be missed by all. I am fortunate to have known both. I was a student of Mark's but more than that, we became friends. Hover with the angels Mark and Tom.
Much respect for the video, and your approach to it.
Condolences to the families. :(
Heartbreaking.
I was at the scene and would like the families to know that there was no suffering. Both aircraft dropped about 100 feet from where I stood. While I didn’t see the crash, I did see everything else. Thinking of the families involved.
@@richyrichkfactually incorrect. They may not have suffered but your numbers are garbage.
It’s tough when you lose a skilled aviator by someone just turning into them. So challenging for the families.
@crashalexander7232 He said in the video he was limited to about 65 -70 mph air speed to stay in the pattern with everybody else. 10:05
@crashalexander7232Did you even look at adsb? How do you justify an uncontrolled “watch this” spontaneous 360 pattern departure?
@crashalexander7232 I don't know what you're on about, but understand doing a 360 in the circuit at such a busy event is stupidly bad decision making.... and as far as I can tell, they were specifically instructed not to do 360's for spacing in their daily briefings. The gyro pilot ignore this and others paid for it...
... Too close? Go around. Its not hard.
@crashalexander7232 It's insane to think there are people out there who actually think it should be a no issue to turn inside the pattern, on a decending leg, and be seen by all and not have the sole responsibility to rejoin that pattern safely. You must be from rotaryforum... good luck to you guys; I hope they put you so far in the weeds nobody even knows you're there next year. You guys are outta control.
Well done professional and compassionate analysis.
These are the worst stories. Not just tragic, but a grim reminder that sometimes no amount of preparation can save your life
I got my pilot's license out of Meacham Field in 1976. Loved flying as a child. I had been considering possibly getting back into flying a few years ago but all the general aviation accidents lately scared me off.
Yeah, that hurts. Thank you for sharing your story, and your flight.
The details of this just breaks my heart. Such a professional pilot lost because someone could not follow the rules or comprehend the risk involved in their personal deviation😢
would not be so quick to judge, the steepness of that circle (at the speed he was going) was totally unnatural... at 36m/s it seems he made a turn with less than 2 seconds (72 meters) diameter I suspect this is a mechanical failure rather than a controlled maneuver...
this is just a guesstimation based on the map,
but... it is at least plausible.
I agree we don’t know yet.
@@stanislavkostarnov2157 I believe the same as you. My first clue to a mechanical problem was the first deviation the gyro had. The fact the pilot corrected that leads me to believe he wasn't a rogue pilot doing whatever they wanted. Whatever input was used to make the first course correction wasn't enough to overcome what finally gave out completely.
@@z31beck Maybe... But deviation #1 also looked just like an s--turn for spacing... I wouldn't so quickly discount that 360...
I'd just got back to our fifth wheel when I heard the collision. I wasn't sure what it was, until I saw the smoke from the helicopter. I don't think I'll ever forget that sound. My heartfelt condolences to all victims and families involved.
Goldendale, WA
I spent 5 days at Osh trying to get a ride in the right seat of a RotorWay! So glad you got to. I’ve seen them used for $60k. Maybe soon…. I wish I could have flown with Mark. I think I would have liked him.
Appreciate and be thankful for every day you wake up. No guarantees for tomorrow. Condolences to families, friends and loved ones. Blessings 🙏🏼
Thanks for sharing this. It doesn’t get any closer than this. Such a random coincidence that nobody could foresee. Condolences to the families of the deceased.
I started flying with my dad off our farm airstrip at 14 one thing he taught me was anytime you decide to enter any aircraft whether pilot or passenger you better understand that one way or another that aircraft is coming back to earth and you better be in control or trust the pilot to be.. lesson is maybe skip the high traffic unnecessary flights like OSH.. I’ve been there several times and always resisted the temptation for that free ride..
I agree with your dad 100%. I have often said the exact same thing.
There used to be a fly-in fish boil in Door County Wisconsin. I don't know if they still have it or not. I attended it a couple times, and the last time I ultimately decided it wasn't worth dying for. There were so many planes in the pattern, there was no way to keep an eye on them all, and I suspect there were many I didn't even see. It was like the wild wild west of the sky, and the amount of traffic made it an unsafe environment. Some will disagree with me, and that's ok, but I considered it a safety decision and noped out after my last visit. I can think of better ways to die than a mid-air collision.
Thank you for the well-painted picture of the pilots and situation. Sad that we lose our fellow aviators, especially ones people have witnessed as being good people.
The question that needs answering is why the gyro had to take evasive action (twice)? Someone who was on the flight line told me that one of the aircraft ahead of it in the pattern slowed down, hence the gyro maintaining distance/evading rear-ending. Presuming that gyros depend upon that forward motion to stay aloft. Perhaps NTSB etc will shed more light.
RIP
Very sad situation. Thank you for covering this so well. We were camped in the south 40, watching the ultralights and light rotorcraft flying their circuits. I'm sure we saw him fly over earlier in the week.
Sincerest condolences to the families and Good Tailwinds to our fallen friends
Damn. Sorry to hear about this. Thanks for posting.
This video was extremely well done. I was at the field just before the accident on that Saturday. I hated hearing the news.
Thank you this breakdown. I was there but did not know the story behind it. Unfortunate tragedy.
Very respectful and sensitive video
Sorry for your loss. 🙏
What a tragedy. R.I.P aviators and passengers. 😪
That's tough to watch. Condolances to friends and family. I hope the other aviators recover from their injuries.
Condolences from Minnesota..... what a shame...
My condolences to you and their families. I'm sorry you experienced this tragedy.
Thank you, my experience is nothing compared to the families and what they’re going through
@@TakingOff Extremely well-done and respectful video.
I was on my mobility scooter heading south on the pavement just west of the south 40. I was moving south looking to my left at airplanes parked. Suddenly, a black object hit the ground no more than 10 ft in front of me and immediately burst into flames. I was stunned but saw no pieces. I quickly decided it was a helicopter, but was burning rapidly. I backed up a safe distance. There was no explosion. I was fortunate that it hit the ground when it did. A few seconds more and I would probably been hit by the helicopter descending!
I offer my condolences to the families. I did not realize two people were aboard until later watching news stories. I had been camping with my son in Ed's campground under the Ultralight pattern. RIP
Hey!
Never a good day. If there is one industry that knows how to learn from tragedy it’s aviation.
RIP Mark. Sorry I missed you last time in Foley.
Such a difficult story, thanks for sharing Dan.
I can’t imagine how hard this was for you, I only partly witnessed the crash, and it was hard for me.
It is truly sad to lose pilots. Things can happen very quickly with devastating results.
Seemed like a really safe & professional helicopter pilot. So sad.🙏💔😪
I was heading back from the flightline to get some water when I saw a plume of black smoke coming from the direction of the ultralight area. I wasn't really sure what had happend until I saw ARFF vehicles heading south down the taxiway. R.I.P. to those lost in this tragic incident and I wish strength to their families and loved ones in the difficult times ahead. :(
He seemed like a great man
Prayers for the families for strength.
I didn't realize the gyro had made that turn! Now I have lots of questions. Such a tragedy. Sorry to you as well, Dan, and thanks for making this video. I'm sure Tom's family appreciates this. Godspeed, Tom.
Very sad. Our Cherokee 140 was parked in row 141 ( bout 300 yards south from the accident) and we left Friday morning before this and the T6 accident took place. One thing that I can add here is that, in the 7 days we were there, camping under our aircraft, not once did we witness anyone making a turn like the Gyro did in this case.
I am curious as to why the abrupt turn. That may or may not shed the final details on the root cause. Rest in peace Tom and Mark.
It’s going to be tough for that gyrocopter pilot to survive and understand his error. Prayers for all involved.
It's really gonna suck for him when they file charges, as they should.
@@Firedrake1313Did I miss something? What could have been the possible reason for his radical move?
Touching tribute....
Thanks for your video and RIP to those lost tragically. I assume the survivors are going to be getting a big civil lawsuit against them.
I hope Hayden takes over his grandfather’s helicopter and flies it for him, with grandpa along on every ride.
This us heartbreaking. Im sorry for the loss of your friend.
I was walking down to South 40 Saturday and noticed lots of Gyros in the circuit. Heard aloud terrible crack in the sky, looked right in front of me and saw about 300 metres and saw what looked to me a large piece of black junk and smaller bits falling from about 200 feet. They hit the ground hard. After that it was very quiet and 30 seconds later I thought the fire started in a different position. Never saw the other Helicopter or Gyro . The one I saw fall was to me not recognisable sad.😢
The helicopter was the black one. The Gyro was white. I can’t imagine watching all that
Not nice still thinking about it.😢
You are too kind to the gyro colter operation. I observed them all week and they would cut the pattern and fly hot dog. I was in a ilot briefing where Mark requested they follow pattern and not do high vertical climbs.
ive heard this too, funny how its not being talked about at all
@@77thTrombone it was like the wild wild West with the gyrocopter’s. I am so ticked off about the way the EAA allowed the loose and obvious careless flying of those guys.
It’s difficult to understand but he is doing the right thing by reserving his opinion until the investigation is complete. I lost my husband in an Apache Longbow mishap due to someone else’s negligence and never publicized the egregious and intentional error until certain individuals started spreading misinformation falsely implicating my husband who had been cleared of any fault. All pilots make mistakes. Even the best pilots. I had to make a tough decision to forgive the other pilot who caused me and my son the loss of an irreplaceable and always professional and safety conscious aviator, husband and father. This family has enough to deal with. Holding back from speculating and blaming is a gift to them that costs nothing. There will be time for that later. It has been 18 1/2 years for me and it never goes away. My son was taught the truth and to forgive and that aviators are fallible. He has learned that first hand as a fighter pilot and it’s a tough lesson to swallow when you make a mistake that could take someone’s life because you didn’t follow your training. Aviation happens fast and I see people calling out the victim for non avoidance etc. also. You can’t imagine what the families are living with right now. The people responsible have a hell of their own to go through. The beginning of the video he clearly states every aviator is on their own in that environment. Anything can and does happen. That is an accepted risk every time someone gets in a cockpit. Let the investigators do their jobs and hope the findings help prevent another such mishap. Put the families first and stow the speculative comments and let the authorities deal with the bad behavior. Everyone who permitted it will have to deal with it. It’s curious to me that you sat in briefings and it was brought up but no one made a concerted effort to stop it. Many people not sleeping well I presume
Condolences to the families..not much else to say from here but stay sharp friends...be aware of everything around you
Hi Dan. One of the gentlemen in the gyrocopter was a friend of mine and was camping beside me at AirVenture. He texted me the following Tuesday to tell me had been in the gyrocopter that had crashed on Saturday and that he was just released from the hospital. I asked him if he saw it coming and he said "no, they were hit from behind", which doesn't match your comments about the gyrocopter turning left 200 degrees and hitting the helicopter. We'll have to wait for the official investigation to see what really happened. My condolences to the families.
Yeah I’m simply reporting on the ads-b data.
ian, ads data doesn't lie, ads data has no bias. It is pure data showing flight path, altitude and speed.
It is clear that the gyro deviated harshly and flew against and into the flight path, exactly why we do not know, could possibly be mechanical, could be pilot error. As to your friend, he could perhaps be right if the gyro flew right in front of another aircraft, as appears to be the case. Still the gyros fault for failure to maintain proper separation. In any case, people involved in accidents are often not in the best position to judge what happened, particularly if neither saw the other.
I got my Commercial Rotor and CFI in 1977. In a military surplus TH-55. We practiced touchdown autorotations twice a year.
Never had an engine failure. Fast forward to 2021, I had an engine blow up in a182 at 1400AGL as I was about to enter the pattern.. no way to make the runway, parked it in the levelist place in gliding distance. Airplane totaled, but no injuries thanks to the harness I installed when I bought it.
No doubt in my mind I would have autorotated safely with no damage in a helicopter.
Yeah I believe rotorcraft are safer,
So much traffic and so many skill levels at Oshkosh. Sooner or later, the odds are, somebody is going to get killed. Did an AOPA fly in at Santa Fe a few years ago. That cured me from fly ins.
😢your explannation made a difference. Thank you.
Seems like there ws very little room for error.
It's amazing so few accidents happen there with so many aircraft flying close together.
RIP Mark and Tom and comfort to their friends and families, and to the gyro pilots. What was the adsb altitude of the fixed wing immediately in front of the gyrocopter? Did gyro get a change of landing instructions or gyro was avoiding the fixed wing when he turned? Lessons for all of us to learn from those before us. Thanks Dan....
Such a sad outcome, but truly a need for collision avoidance even in the helicopters... Got to have a ride in the old Bell 47 Helicopter at Oshkosh. A truly memorable birthday gift and my first ride in a helicopter, and having my own Single engine fixed-gear pilot's license but it was astounding and was a fantastic ride...
RIP Mark & Tom 🙏🏻’s & condolences to all your family members grieving. There has to be video evidence of this crash…Guess we’ll never get to see it, least until the NTSB’s investigation is completed and everything finalized. Not that I even want to see such a tragedy, it’s just that there are cameras everywhere nowadays!
Your face is trying to turn into Harrison Ford, but the Craig Ferguson part is fighting it.
Thank you.
Thanks for posting this what a shame. I remember Oshkosh 2018 watching Mike Patey Trent Palmer aka flying cowboys down at the ultralight field it was a dam good time.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Dan
I am convinced the parked Mooney helped save
The lives of the Gyrocopter occupants. It acted like a cushion. One of them was inside the Mooney.
I was there when this occurred and was one of the first to the helicopter.
Very sad! My heart goes out to the families.🙏
At 12:33 you can see the Mooney that the gyro copter landed on. It's parked between two Bonanzas. One them is tan and orange. RIP
We had our booth very close to the STOL field. Apart from my fixed wing licenses I also hold a Gyrocopter licence. I watched in awe some pretty close encounters during the week. And most were caused by cutting corners and show off flying mostly done by Gyrocopter pilots. It was due to happen. We were shopping during that accident in Osh. Therefore, I did not witness anything and will not judge. Nevertheless, from my point of view there were too many permitted at the same time to fly during those circuits to be safe and sound.
Although a Gyrocopter can fly slow it is still a fixed wing airplane and cannot hover and needs forward momentum to hold altitude. Therefore, they should be separated from helicopters.
Prayers
Mark was such a great guy. Articulate cool in every way. What a tremendous loss to family and to the aviation community.
Not a great consolation. But he died flying his beloved well made homemade helicopter. Fate is the hunter. 😮
Gyrocopter pilot crossed the path on short final, but then again this is aviation and anything can happen
We had our own midair that ended badly for three in an R44. Naturally the cirrus that entered the field low, fast, and from the south (helo approach and departure at my home field). He knew better.
Sad times , condolences to family and friends .
It’s more astonishing this doesn’t happen more often. There are pilots every year at Oshkosh that are unaware of the sop’s or blatantly disregard them.
there was a near miss between a white gyro and a yellow gyro about 10 minutes before the crash above stadtmuellers campground. campers were alarmed and contacted ntsb.
This guy Tom sounds like a bad ass son of a B honestly.
Got along with everybody while he owned his life and made it what he wanted.
Raised his kids up fine, and had his grandkids on track by the time he was finished. I'm not surprised his woman stuck with him 52 years.
I wish him perfect satisfaction. He ought to feel good about it.
This was my first time there. I was there that Saturday, but didn’t find out about the accidents till the next day on my way home.
Great memorial! RIP
I had been wondering about this ever since I heard about it.
These accidents are the worst when it seems this was 100% avoidable... Much harder to accept...
I guess we'll know soon enough what made the Gyro turn around like that...
Homebuilds and those gyros both make me nervous. Both in the pattern is an anxiety inducing flight.
Hear about this. Dan thank you for the video. Such a tragedy 💔
Will be interesting to find out why that gyro turned in the flight plan like that.
I wonder if he was doing a 360 for spacing not realizing the Rotorway was directly behind him?
@@MilitaryAIWorks100 The NTSB prelim report fully put the gyro at fault and deviating from flight plans / EAA flight procedures.
I attended Sun 'n' Fun this year in Lakeland and was looking forward to getting a flight in a gyro, but after watching the almost out of control antics of guys cutting tight turns, crazy steep climbs and other maneuvers, in close proximity to others flying, I decided it didn't look safe and didn't fly.
heartbreaking
God Bless all of U, Earth Bound Angels!!!!! Bigbear.