# Accident 19810508022839A: Amtrbx BENSENB8M, Smithland, KY, May 8, 1981

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 8, 1981, 14:50 local time
- Place: Smithland, KY
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.1388° N, 88.4048° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Smithland, KY, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.1388&lon=-88.4048&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2309S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2309S-1981-10-01) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hunt-William BENSEN B-8M (registry code 13021W6, https://openairdocs.org/model/hunt-william-bensen-b-8m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTRBX BENSENB8M
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 192 total, 65 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL81FLQ16](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL81FLQ16) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810508022839A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ROCKED GYROCOPTER WAVING AT FRIENDS AT LOW ALTITUDE. CAUSED ROTOR FLAP AND ROTORPROP STRIKE. LOST CONTROL OF COPTER

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ATL81FLQ16](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL81FLQ16), May 8, 1981: Bensen B8M (N2309S), Smithland, KY, substantial damage, 1 fatal

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.