Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ashland-Boyd County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ashland, Kentucky 41101
Friday, July 30, 1982 14:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT HAD A PRIVATE LICENSE WITH A SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING, BUT ONLY HAD ABOUT 1 HR OF PREVIOUS FLIGHT TIME IN THE BENSEN GYROCOPTER. THE OWNER STATED THAT HE TOLD THE PILOT NOT TO CLIMB ABOVE 5 TO 6 FT. THE OWNER ALSO STATED THAT THE PILOT TOLD HIM HE HAD READ "FLYING INSTRUCTIONS - FUNDAMENTALS OF GYROCOPTER FLIGHT" WHICH REQUIRES AT LEAST 50 TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS NEVER EXCEEDING 1 TO 2 FT AGL. THE PILOT TOOK OFF ON A PARALLEL TAXIWAY, FLEW STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AT LOW ALTITUDE UNTIL MIDWAY DOWN THE TAXIWAY, THEN CLIMBED TO ABOUT 100 FT. AS HE APPROACHED THE END OF THE TAXIWAY, THE PILOT BEGAN A RAPID POWERED DESCENT FOLLOWED BY A DESCENDING LEFT TURN. THE GYROCOPTER TOUCHED DOWN AT A RELATIVELY HIGH GROUND SPEED, SWERVED 2 OR 3 TIMES, AND TIPPED OVER. THE PILOT CLAIMED THAT HE WAS COERCED INTO FLYING THE GYROCOPTER WITHOUT ADEQUATE INSTRUCTION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/30/1982 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | ASHLAND |
| Event State | KENTUCKY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 41101 |
| Event Date Year | 1982 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | ASHLAND-BOYD COUNTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 128 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 80 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1576 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N37630 |
| NTSB Number | ATL82DA255 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BENSON |
| Aircraft Model | B8M |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | B8M |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 900 |
| Aircraft Category | Gyrocraft |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Unknown |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 69 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GREGORY SMITH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1026 WILBURN STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | FLATWOODS |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | MICHAEL DONAHUE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | RT. 5, BOX 47 |
| Operator City | ASHLAND |
| Operator State | KY |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 41101 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 128 |
| Departure City | ASHLAND |
| Departure State | KY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 128 |
| Destination City | ASHLAND |
| Destination State | KY |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 18 2002 4:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 10 |
| Runway Length | 5600 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |