Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 12; Flight Crew Total 757; Flight Crew Type 579
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution
Aircraft
I was flying the gyroplane north bound over highway; going back to the airport at an altitude of 800 feet MSL; around 70 MPH; and I was probably 4.2 miles from the airport. As I was getting close the gyroplane started moving the nose left and right; my reaction was to lower the engine RPM and slow down; and the nose of the gyroplane stop moving. I continued to go toward the airport; and about a minute later the same movement of the nose going left and right started again but more pronounced. I again reduced the engine power to a lower engine rpm; but this time the nose movement did not stop or slow down; instead started to increase. I decided I would not make it back to the airport safely and made a precautionary landing on the shoreline.
Gyro-copter pilot reported the nose of the aircraft began to move side to side becoming unsafe to fly resulting in an off-airport landing.