Magniflight LLC M24 ORION PLUS accident near Dauphin Island, Alabama, May 30, 2023
On May 30, 2023 at about 4:01 pm local time, a 2022 Magniflight LLC M24 ORION PLUS (gyroplane), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N1777W, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Dauphin Island, Alabama (None airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to a loss of combustion in the No. 4 cylinder for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2023 · about 4:01 pm local time
- Place
- Dauphin Island, Alabama · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Magniflight LLC M24 ORION PLUS, built 2022, amateur-built · all M24 ORION PLUSs on the register
- Registration
- N1777W · registry record · serial 24213486
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the gyroplane reported several lane warnings during the flight, which indicated possible disruptions to the fuel/ignition timing by the engine’s digital engine control unit (ECU). The ECU was comprised of two modules that worked in sync with each other to monitor numerous sensors throughout the engine. Although the pilot tried to reset the lane warning several times, the engine lost partial power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and made a forced landing in tall grass, during which the gyroplane rolled over and substantial damage. A postaccident examination and test run of the engine revealed no obvious mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have contributed to the accident. Data downloaded from the engine’s digital ECU and an electronic flight information system (EFIS) revealed that, at the time of the partial loss of engine power, the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) reading for the No. 4 cylinder dropped to levels indicating that combustion was no longer occurring within the cylinder. The loss of combustion in the No. 4 cylinder likely resulted in the partial power loss of the engine. The cause of the loss of combustion in the No. 4 cylinder could not be determined with the available engine ECU and EFIS data. Along with the engine data, the fact that the engine ran after the accident indicated there was likely an intermittent issue with the fuel/air delivery or the ignition to the No. 4 cylinder that could not be duplicated.
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
- Dynamic rollover during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Unknown or undetermined during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, private
- Ratings: instructor: gyroplane; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 6,532.2 hours in all; 6,498.5 in this make and model; 188.2 in the last 90 days; 58.1 in the last 30 days; 6,461.9 as pilot in command; 3,896.2 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 6, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 384.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 31, 2023; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 915iS (piston); 384 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JKA Gulf Shores AL at 2:52 pm
- Destination: 4R9 Dauphin Island AL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 am from KJKA, 24 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KJKA 301556Z VRB03KT 10SM FEW030 28/13 A2993
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N1777W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA23LA251.