- Date
- September 23, 1983, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Paoli, IN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6469Bensen B8M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830923053099A
- Case key
- 12027
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Shortly after takeoff, the gyrocopter crashed on the west side of rwy 02/20. Witnesses observed the acft turn to the right after lift-off, then it disappeared behind trees. They reported hearing an unusual noise & stated that the eng stopped operating, then they heard the acft crash. Reportedly, the acft lifted off from the taxiway before turning down rwy 02 to depart. An exam of the wreckage was made, but no preimpact/mechanical failure or malfunction was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6469
- Reported as
- Bensen B8M
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1
- Airframe hours
- 277
- Engine
- McCulloch 40-50, 72 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ralph A Mcpherson
- Airport
- 142 · Paoli, runway 20, 2,800 × 50 ft, macadam
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
- 71
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 402 total · 276 in this make and model · 41 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.