Amateur-built B-8 accident near Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, May 1, 1999
On May 1, 1999 at about 6:15 pm local time, a amateur-built B-8 (gyroplane), registered N4659T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the inadequate rotor rpm by the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 1999 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built B-8
- Registration
- N4659T · no longer on the register · serial 1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was attempting a go-around from a private airstrip. In a written statement, the pilot reported, 'I was coming in for a landing at my son-in-laws private airstrip. The strip has his house and a power line on the west end and woods on the east end. His strip is 1,200 feet long, plenty long for a gyro. I had made several landings there before. In the past my landings had been to the west. Due to the wind this one was from the east. As I approached I realized I was high and would use up a lot of runway, so I decided to go around. I then eased the throttle on to full and made a right bank . (there was a street, house, power line and a river to the left). At that moment the bird went into a downward roll to the left and nothing I did stopped it. I was on the ground before I knew it'. The pilot also stated that his airspeed was 40 mph and he did not recall making a right hand climb out before. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction. Examination of the wreckage revealed the gyroplane's rotor blades exhibited a cone shape.
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: student
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 682 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 10, 1999; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen 1600 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Shepard MI at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 1,200 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from MBS, 30 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.
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.