- Date
- June 18, 1983, 18:30 local (Jun 19, 1983, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Maria, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7045Mareik-Bensen B-8M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830618025489A
- Case key
- 23880
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
The gryoplane was observed to depart from controlled flt at or below 800 ft AGL & the plt became separated from the acft. Both impacted the ground in a near vertical descent about 40 ft apart. The plt's blood alcohol content was 0.13%. The clasp ends of the seat belt straps were open. Both webbings of the two straps were impregnated with grease & foreignmaterial. The metal clasp 'grips' were rounded off & the grooves between them contained foreign material. The left strapstiching on the upper edge of the strap was worn & deteriorated along a length of 6 inches in the area where the metal clasp would normally be clasped when around an occupant. After the accident the seat belts were clasped together & several hard tugs with one hand was sufficient to cause the seat belt to come open. This procedure was tested six times with the same results.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7045
- Reported as
- Mareik-Bensen B-8M
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 4711
- Engine
- Continental A&C 75, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lothar-Mareik
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 0CR1 · Santa Maria, CA
- Destination
- 0CR1 · Santa Maria, CA
- Airport
- CR1 · Northside Airpark
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Expired
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SMA, 5 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.