Amateur-built B-8M accident near Hearne, Texas, July 21, 1990
On July 21, 1990 at about 4:45 pm local time, a amateur-built B-8M (gyroplane), registered N130MP, was destroyed in an accident near Hearne, Texas (Hearne Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT DUE TO EXCESSIVE CONTROL INPUTS AND HIS ABRUPT ATTEMPTS TO RECOVER CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO IMPACT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 1990 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hearne, Texas · Hearne Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built B-8M · all B-8Ms on the register
- Registration
- N130MP · 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
SEVERAL WITNESSES, ALL OF WHICH WERE GYROCOPTER PILOTS, STATED THAT IT APPEARED THE PILOT ENTERED A PILOT INDUCED OSCILLATION (PIO) DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. A VIDEO TAPE OF THE ACCIDENT SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT ENTER A SERIES OF DIVERGENT NOSE UP AND NOSE DOWN MANEUVERS, THE FIRST OF WHICH WAS A NOSE PITCH UP. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY ENTERED A STEEP DESCENT, WENT INVERTED, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE A GYROCOPTER RATING AND HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF ABOUT 40 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN THE MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 220 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 80 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 1989; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 581 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax R532 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T72 at 4:40 pm
- Destination: T72
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 FTW90DRA07.