- Date
- June 7, 2015, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Maple Plain, MN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2436Kretsinger Bensen B8M
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150607007179A
- Case key
- 91324
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 maintain airspeed, resulting in a loss of control, and a collision with terrain.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was making a low pass by the runway and that the gyroplane began settling. He reported that he felt a downdraft from the nearby trees pull the gyroplane down. The pilot reported that he turned down wind to escape the downdraft, he lost lift, and the gyroplane impacted a field sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was making a low pass by the runway and that the gyroplane began settling. He reported that he felt a downdraft from the nearby trees pull the gyroplane down. The pilot reported that he turned down wind to escape the downdraft, he lost lift, and the gyroplane impacted a field sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2436
- Reported as
- Kretsinger Bensen B8M (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- BA42670-1VWM
- Built
- 1970
- Airframe hours
- 120
- Engine
- Volkswagen 1675, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Eldridge U Kretsinger
- Registered owner
- Eldridge U Kretsinger
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 13, 2013
- Departed
- MN69 · Maple Plain, MN
- Destination
- MN69 · Maple Plain, MN
- Airport
- MN69 · Maple
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 73
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Sport Pilot, Private, Recreational
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 6, 2013
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.67 inHg
- Observed at
- KCFE, 12 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 22, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N2436 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.