- Date
- March 12, 1984, 08:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- Sanford, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3154AGross Benson B-8M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840312041009A
- Case key
- 30978
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 student plt & the plts of 2 other benson gyrocopters took off from a private strip & proceeded to fly in a loose formation. The plts of the other 2 gyrocopters did not witness the accident, but noticed that 1 of the 3 was missing. Witnesses on the ground stated that they noticed the gyrocopter oscillated up & down and fore & aft prior to it impacting with tree tops. The student plt was not indorsed for flt in any acft. His wife stated that he had received instruction by using a training device that was towed behind a vehicle. No signs or evidence of preexisting structural failure were noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3154A
- Reported as
- Gross Benson B-8M (BENSON B-8)
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JAG-1
- Engine
- McCulloch 4318-A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joseph A. Gross
- Departed
- Sanford, FL
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 22 total · 22 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 30,000 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCO, 26 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.