- Date
- March 16, 1991, 14:05 local (20:05 UTC)
- Place
- Hartselle, AL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6572KBenson B8M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910316005439A
- Case key
- 8384
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The improper installation of the main rotor bearing block by the owner/pilot which resulted in the separation of the main rotor system.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Witnesses stated that the aircraft was flying at about 200 feet above ground level when the gyrocopter's main rotor separated from the aircraft. Investigation revealed that the commercial pilot, who was not rated in gyrocopter's had built and did all the maintenance on the gyrocopter. Further investigation revealed that the retainer washer was missing from the main rotor bearing block assembly.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6572K
- Reported as
- Benson B8M
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- S-223
- Engine
- Mcculloch, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Spivey, Franklin G.
- Airport
- 5MO · Rountree Field
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 9,300 total · 250 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- HSV, 18 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.