- Date
- October 10, 1992, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Holly Ridge, NC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3777RBensen B-8M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921010041449A
- Case key
- 8691
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 pilot's failure to operate the flight controls properly.
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
According to the pilot's father, the purpose of the operation was to test and become familiar with the gyrocopter's flight characteristics after the main rotor system was installed. The pilot's father followed the aircraft on the long runway and observed the ground test as the pilot made several touch and go type maneuvers. As he approached the end of the runway, the pilot elected to continue, and the aircraft became airborne. The aircraft initially climbed over the tree line on the departure end of the runway and was last seen descending below the tree tops. The wreckage examination failed to disclose a mechanical problem with the aircraft. The pilot had 917 hours of helicopter flight time, but there was no record of gyrocopter flight time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3777R
- Reported as
- Bensen B-8M
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 14908641
- Engine
- Volkswagen CONVERSION, 35 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Alford, James B.
- Registered owner
- Alford, James B.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 917 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ILM, 60 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.