19990501021689A

On may 1, 1999 at 1415 eastern daylight time, a barrett bensen B-8, N4659T, owned and piloted by a non-certificated pilot, received substantial damage on impact with terrain following a go-around attempt at a private airstrip. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported minor injuries. The flight departed from shepherd, Michigan, at 1400, en route to mount Pleasant, Michigan. During an interview the pilot stated that he approached a private airstrip in his gyroplane "a little high" and saw that he was going to use a lot of runway and elected to perform a go-around so as not to use a lot of runway. He stated that he turns normally to the left, but there were houses in that direction, so he turned to the right. He reported that he could not stop the slow roll to the right and impacted the terrain. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the gyroplane or engine. Federal aviation administration records indicate that the pilot received a third class medical certificate on July 14, 1995 and had reported a total flight time of 220 hours. FL ight records show that the gyroplane had accumulated a total airframe time of 407 hours since April 5, 1990. There was no annual type inspection ever performed on the gyroplane. Examination of the wreckage by the federal aviation administration revealed no anomalies. (-23)pilot stated that shortly after go around was initiated the aircraft began a slow roll to the left that could not be arrested. The aircraft continued to roll left and struck the ground inverted and then on the left side. The pilot did not have a current medical. The pilot did not have a pilot certificate.