Amateur-built B8M accident near Ravenna, Michigan, May 1, 2015
On May 1, 2015 at about 5:25 pm local time, a 2008 amateur-built B8M (gyroplane), registered N5606X, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Ravenna, Michigan (Muskegon County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2015 · about 5:25 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Ravenna, Michigan · Muskegon County Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built B8M NO SERIES, built 2008
- Registration
- N5606X · no longer on the register · serial 2
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot of the gyrocopter stated that, after reducing engine power to descend, the engine experienced a total loss of power due to carburetor ice and that there was nowhere to land. The gyrocopter subsequently impacted 30-ft high power lines and the ground. Examination of the wreckage showed that the rotor blades were coned upward consistent with low rotor rpm at ground impact. Given the weather conditions in the area about the time of the accident, the aircraft would have been operating in conditions conducive to moderate carburetor icing at cruise power and serious icing at descent power. Thus, it is likely that the engine lost power due to carburetor icing.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure other cases naming the engine
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on operation
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 2015; 3 hours since
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagon (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Riverview MI at 4:25 pm
- Destination: MKG Ravenna MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from MKG, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on June 13, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Form 6120 CEN15LA235 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for the Record Summaries of Witness Statements Provided by the Michigan State Police CEN15LA235 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for the Record FAA Inspector Accident Site Information CEN15LA235 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Michigan State Police Accident Report CEN15LA235 | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Information CEN15LA235 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Carburetor Icing Probability Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo Array CEN15LA235 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5606X: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Engine: Volkswagon · as the NTSB recorded it
- Muskegon County · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Michigan 2,107 since 1982 · 230 in the last ten years
- Michigan 7,226 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN15LA235.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.