Modesto Police gyroplane made emergency landing Tuesday after mechanical issue
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A gyroplane the Modesto Police Department began leasing around a month ago experienced a mechanical issue Tuesday that led to an emergency landing at the Modesto City-County Airport, the department confirmed Wednesday evening.
“We just did it for an abundance of caution,” Police Captain Ivan Valencia said.
Valencia said a low oil pressure warning light came on after the gyroplane took off Tuesday afternoon to assist the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office with a call. Two people, a pilot and tactical flight observer, were onboard at the time per protocol.
The pilot called for an emergency landing to ensure no other planes would be coming into the runway at the same time as the gyroplane, Valencia said. As a precaution, the Modesto Fire Department was called to the scene.
MPD notified the National Transportation Safety Board of the incident, but the board is not investigating further because no one was injured and nothing in the gyroplane was damaged.
“It performed the way it was supposed to perform and returned back and landed safely,” Valencia said.
The plane was sent to be examined at a facility in Petaluma, but Valencia said he is not sure at this time what the exact problem was or what repairs will be needed.
Since its program began March 29, the gyroplane has been used somewhere around 80 times, Valencia estimated.
MPD announced at the end of March it was leasing the plane for a six-month trial period.
Department of Justice research shows that gyroplanes are a cost-effective alternative to helicopters and other air crafts, the release said. While helicopters can cost upward of $750 per hour to operate, gyroplanes only cost about $65 per hour.
In the press release, the department said it is the first police agency in the country to use a gyroplane with “modern law enforcement equipment, such as a thermal camera, spotlight, police radios and a moving map system.”
This story was originally published May 13, 2021 at 5:05 AM.
