- Date
- November 12, 1985, 13:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Eureka, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4579CJohn Patrick Coleman Bensen B-8M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851112056679A
- Case key
- 24968
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
On November 12, 1985, at approximately 1345 PST an amateur built bensen B-8M aircraft owned and operated by john patrick coleman crashed while on a pleasure flight. VFR conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot received fatal injuries. The pilot held a private certificate. The flight originated at Eureka municipal airport, Eureka, California, at approximately 1420 PST. A witness observed the aircraft on departure 'make a shrp turn causing the aircraft to invert and fall to the earth.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4579C
- Reported as
- John Patrick Coleman Bensen B-8M (BENSEN B-8)
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2544
- Engine
- Bombardier 503S.N.345842, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John Patrick Coleman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · August 16, 1985
- Departed
- 033 · Eureka, CA
- Airport
- 033
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
- 25
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.