- Date
- August 21, 1984, 18:50 local (Aug 22, 1984, 01:50 UTC)
- Place
- Newman Lake, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N45684Benson B8M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840821044669A
- Case key
- 39824
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
Witnesses observed the aircraft go through a series of rapid pitch oscillations at about 300 ft AGL. The pitch changes increased in magnitude and severity until the main rotor blades struck the rudder stopping it's rotation and resulting in an uncontrolled near vertical descent. There was no solo endorsement on the student's certificate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N45684
- Reported as
- Benson B8M
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 495584628
- Airframe hours
- 25
- Engine
- Mcculloch O-100-1 4318A, 72 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard D. Campbell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 13, 1984 · 25 hours before
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 15 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GEG, 19 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.