Air & Space 18-A accident near Murray, Kentucky, August 27, 1983
On August 27, 1983 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Air & Space 18-A (gyroplane), registered N6155S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Murray, Kentucky (Brandon airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 1983 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Murray, Kentucky · Brandon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Air & Space 18-A
- Registration
- N6155S · no longer on the register · serial 18-66
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
APRX 400 FT AGL, WHILE EXECUTING A JUMP TAKEOFF AND A RIGHT TURN, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SETTLE. IT THEN STRUCK TREES AND THEN THE GROUND. THE TEMPERATURE WAS 100 DEGREES F. THE PILOT STATED THAT MORE ATTENTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAID TO AMBIENT CONDITIONS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 5,306 hours in all; 390 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5,050 as pilot in command; 11 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 284 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 1983; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:58 pm from PAH, 37 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N6155S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.