- Date
- February 3, 1983, 14:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Patillas, PR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1080LBensen B8M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830203009179A
- Case key
- 30812
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 gyrocopter crashed during takeoff after climbing to about 50 ft. AGL. This was the seventh takeoff of the day for this flt. The pilot lost control of the acft and it dove vertically to the ground. Investigation of the wreckage revealed that the cyclic stick had become disconnected under the pilot's seat. This separation of the stick was not the result of impact. The pilot did not possess an airman certificate and there was no record to substantiate that he had any training in the gyrocopter. The pilot never applied for a special airworthiness certificate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1080L
- Reported as
- Bensen B8M
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JL1
- Engine
- McCulloch 4318 A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Julio Linares
- Airport
- X64 · Patillas Airport
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
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Front
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- 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.