Services Held for Gyrocopter Victim

A Carrollton man, Henderikus (Hank) Kautz, a 31-year-old machinist, was killed at 12:40 p.m. Sunday near Caddo Mills airstrip when his gyrocopter flipped out of control and crashed.
Kautz was one of several county residents attempting to make a sport of flying the little shops, often home-made, that rely on free-wheeling rotor blades for wings.
The Federal Aviation Agency had restricted gyrocopters to the Caddo Mills airport, an auxiliary flying field from World War II with a concrete strip.
Highway Patrolman Bob Ward said witness to the crash indicated that Kautz had taken off and ascended to about 200 feet altitude when the gyrocopter flipped and tumbled to earth. Witnesses, about 100 yards away, indicated that the ship may have been thrown out of control by a gust of wind.
Born in The Netherlands, Kautz came to the United States about 10 years ago and had lived in this area about two years.
Employed by the Otis Engineering Corp., he lived with his wife, Mary and a 4-year-old son at 1800 Valleywood, Carrollton. Other survivors live in the Netherlands.
Services were held at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Rhoton, Weiland-Merritt Chapel with the Rev. Wyane Allen officiating. Interment was in Hilltop Memorial Park, Carrollton

The Carrollton Chronicle - Thursday, February 9, 1967
Submitted by Edward Lynn Williams