# NTSB ERA25FA071: Magni Builder M-16, N271BP, Foley, AL, December 9, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report - Date: December 9, 2024, 13:32 UTC - Place: Foley, AL - Coordinates: 30.427667, -87.700972 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.4277&lon=-87.7010&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report August 19, 2026 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO, ANSV - NTSB case key (mKey): 199400 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA25FA071 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199400/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199400 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25FA071 ## Probable cause The sport pilot’s failure to maintain control of the gyroplane during initial climb, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Magni Builder M-16, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05639L0), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: pitch control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Magni Builder M-16, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md?model=05639L0), [All aircraft, 526 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Magni Builder M-16, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05639L0), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Magni Builder M-16, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05639L0), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The sport pilot obtained his pilot certificate about 4 months prior to the accident and had accrued a total flight experience of 61 hours; of which, 55 hours were in the accident gyroplane. According to witnesses and airport video, during takeoff and initial climb, the engine was at full power throughout the accident flight, and the sound of the engine was smooth and continuous until ground contact. After rotation and liftoff, the gyroplane oscillated slightly but then the oscillations ceased. The nose of the gyroplane subsequently pitched up too far and full left rudder input was applied until the nose of the gyroplane was oriented 90° to the direction of flight. A right cyclic input followed, which unloaded the rotor system and induced a buntover event. The gyroplane turned and rolled right, through inverted, before it impacted the runway in a nose-low, upright position. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. ## Factual narrative According to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Rotorcraft Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-21): If rotor force is rapidly removed, some gyroplanes have a tendency to pitch forward abruptly. This is often referred to as a forward tumble, buntover, or power pushover. Removing the rotor force is often referred to as unloading the rotor, and can occur if pilot induced oscillations become excessive, if extremely turbulent conditions are encountered, or the nose of the gyroplane is pushed forward rapidly after a steep climb. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and maintenance records, the gyroplane was manufactured in 2020 and was powered by a Rotax 912 IS, 100-horsepower, fuel-injected engine. The gyroplane’s most recent condition inspection was completed on October 2, 2024, at 350.7 total aircraft hours. On December 9, 2024, at 1332 central standard time, an experimental amateur-built M-16 gyroplane, N271BP, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Foley, Alabama. The sport pilot was fatally injured. The gyroplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The operator of the gyroplane and one of his employees, both gyroplane flight instructors, witnessed the accident flight. They each provided statements, and their versions of events were consistent throughout. The pilot started the gyroplane, taxied, performed an engine run-up, and initiated a takeoff from runway 18 at Foley Municipal Airport (5R4), Foley, Alabama, with no anomalies noted. The engine was at “full power” throughout the accident flight, and the sound of the engine was smooth and continuous until ground contact. The operator stated that, after rotation and liftoff, the gyroplane “wiggled around a little bit,” which motivated the operator to reach for a handheld radio to offer encouragement and counsel to the pilot, but no radio was available. The pilot “got the shakes out” and the gyroplane stabilized, accelerated, and climbed. The nose of the gyroplane “pitched up too much,” and full left rudder input was applied until the nose of the gyroplane was oriented 90° to the direction of flight. The operator noted a right cyclic input, which “unloaded” the rotor system and induced a “buntover” event. The gyroplane turned and rolled right, through inverted, before it impacted the runway in a nose-low, upright position. An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, Auburn, Alabama. The cause of death was reported as “Blunt force injures.” Toxicological testing was performed on specimens from the pilot by the FAA Office of Forensic Sciences, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The results revealed that Tadalafil (used to treat erectile dysfunction) and Losartan (used to treat high blood pressure) were detected in cavity blood and liver. Both medications are not generally considered impairing. The pilot held a sport pilot certificate and an endorsement for gyroplanes. His certificate was issued onAugust 08, 2024. A review of his logbook revealed he made only one entry after the date of his practical test. The totals of the entries revealed 47 total hours of flight experience as of September 3, 2024. Interpolating the totals from the logbook and the operator’s records, the operator estimated the pilot had accrued 61 total hours of flight experience, 55 hours of which were in the accident gyroplane. The wreckage was examined at the accident site, and all major components of the gyroplane were accounted for at the scene. The initial impact point was about halfway down runway 18. The wreckage path was oriented 160° and was about 45 ft long. The fuselage rested on its left side but was deformed by impact and fire. The main rotor hub and blade assembly remained attached and displayed uniform damage and chordwise scratching of each blade. About 50% of each blade from mid-span to the tips were consumed by fire. The cockpit, instrument panel, seats, flight controls, and the fuselage were all consumed by fire. Flight control continuity was established from the rudder pedal bellcrank to the rudder control horn. Cyclic control continuity was established from the cyclic mixing unit through several breaks to the main rotor fork. The breaks were due to thermal damage to aluminum mount brackets along the cyclic control system. The engine was damaged by impact and fire. The No. 3 cylinder rocker cover and the exhaust rocker were separated and displaced by impact. The No. 3 cylinder was displaced from the crankcase. The external engine accessories and wire bundles were consumed by fire. Impact damage to the No. 3 cylinder and the propeller driveshaft bearing prevented rotation of the crankshaft. Borescope examination of each cylinder revealed no damage and signatures consistent with normal wear and lubrication. The three-blade propeller remained mounted to the hub. The 31-inch blades were uniformly impact-damaged and separated about 11 inches outboard of their respective hubs, with the composite fibers sheared opposite the direction of rotation. Each blade root exhibited fire damage. A portion of one propeller blade was located 86 ft from the initial impact crater, on a 120° bearing behind the gyroplane relative to its direction of travel. The propeller gearbox was removed from the engine which revealed the impact-damaged propeller driveshaft bearing. Once the damaged bearing was removed, the gearbox rotated smoothly, and the internal gears showed neither abnormal wear nor damage. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N271BP](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N271BP), registered now, S/N 16202675 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MAGNI BUILDER LLC M-16 (C Trainer) - Registry model: [Magni Builder M-16](https://openairdocs.org/model/magni-builder-m-16) (registry code 05639L0) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 912 IS series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912-is-series) (registry code 55593, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Gyroplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 16202675 - Year built: 2020 - Airframe hours: 350.7 - Engines: Rotax 912 IS 100 hp reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Southern Gyro LLC - Registered owner: Southern Gyro LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, October 2, 2024, 19 hours before - Airport: 5R4, Foley Municipal Airport, runway 18, 3,700 × 74 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 67; injuries: fatal; sport pilot; medical: sport pilot; last flight review August 12, 2024; seat: front; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 61 total, 55 in this make and model, 19 as pilot in command, 12 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 5,000 ft broken - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 72 °F - Altimeter: 29.96 inHg - Observed at: JKA, 8 nm away - METAR: KJKA 091955Z 18005KT 10SM BKN050 BKN065 23/22 A2996 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20241209018099A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20241209018099A), Dec 9, 2024: Magni Builder LLC M-16, Foley, AL, Destroyed, 1 fatal. During climb-out, the pilot lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft descended and impacted the departure runway. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact… ## Docket (8 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 19, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199400. 16.1 MB in all. - Memoranda for the record (item 1, PDF, 6 pages, 216 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19614865&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MFRs_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Witness statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 33 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19619225&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Witness%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot logbook excerpts (item 3, PDF, 9 pages, 5.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19619795&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20Logbook_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Maintenance logbook excerpts (item 4, PDF, 4 pages, 3.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19619840&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Maintenance%20Logbook%20Excerpts_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Investigation photographs (item 5, PDF, 5 pages, 4 photos, 784 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19619651&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigation%20Photographs-Rel.pdf - Toxicological report (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 96 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19619235&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Tox_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Airport video excerpt (18 seconds, 6MB, MP4) (item 7, MP4, 5.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19619567&FileExtension=mp4&FileName=Airport%20Video%20Excerpt.mp4-Rel.mp4 - Memorandum for the record - wreckage release (item 8, PDF, 1 page, 68 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19715159&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MFR-Rel.pdf 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. --- 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.