EAA Adopts New Procedures in Wake of AirVenture NTSB Crash Report

The gyroplane and unoccupied parked airplane. [Courtesy: NTSB]

One strike and you're out. This rule is among the procedural changes for EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in response to a deadly midair collision between a helicopter and gyrocopter last year.

The aircraft were flying in the pattern of the Fun Fly Zone (FFZ), which is located in the Ultralight area.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the accident occurred when the gyroplane pilot violated established and briefed FFZ procedures by making a prohibited 360-degree turn in the pattern before colliding with the helicopter.

NTSB: Rule Violation Contributed to Fatal Midair Collision at EAA AirVenture

The pilot and passenger of the helicopter were killed and the pilot and passenger of the gyrocopter were seriously injured. No one on the ground was injured, however, an unoccupied aircraft was destroyed when the gyroplane came down on top of it.

According to the NTSB final report (below) on the accident, in addition to the one-strike rule, the EAA has adopted the following changes to prevent future mishaps:

Standardized briefing for all types of FFZ operations
Standardized traffic pattern for all types of FFZ operations with exception of the powered-parachutes group due to speed performance
Standardized aircraft spotter locations for all types of FFZ operations
Designated sterile corridor for traffic on base leg over the north/south paved road

The NTSB's final report is below.

Report_CEN23FA333_192738_7_11_2024-3_09_59-PM Download

EAA AirVenture NTSB Oshkosh

Meg GodlewskiAuthor

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.