Hughes BENSEN B-8M accident near The Dalles, Oregon, June 20, 1989
On June 20, 1989 at about 8:41 pm local time, a Hughes BENSEN B-8M (gyroplane), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N3196, was destroyed in an accident near The Dalles, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOTS POOR JUDGEMENT IN ATTEMPTING LOW LEVEL FLIGHT IN A NARROW VALLEY DURING HIGH WIND CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 1989 · about 8:41 pm local time
- Place
- The Dalles, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes BENSEN B-8M BENSEN B-8, amateur-built
- Registration
- N3196 · no longer on the register · serial HU 191713
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO SET A WORLD RECORD FOR FLIGHT FROM CANADA TO MEXICO IN THE GYROCOPTER. THE PILOT HAD STOPPED AT THE DALLES, IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE, FOR FUEL. AFTER DEPARTING THE DALLES, THE PILOT FLEW SOUTH ALONG A HIGHWAY THAT FOLLOWS A VALLEY EXTENDING FROM THE GORGE TO HIGHER TERRAIN SOUTH OF THE DALLES. THERE ARE STEEP HILLS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HIGHWAY. THE PILOT WAS FLYING APRX 200 FT AGL MAKING PASSES OVER A GROUND CREW WHO WERE FILMING THE FLIGHT, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY FLIPPED INTO AN INVERTED ATTITUDE AND IMPACTED ON A HILLSIDE BY THE HIGHWAY. A MEMBER OF THE GROUND CREW FILMING THE FLIGHT ESTIMATED ON THE TAPE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THAT THE WINDS WERE 40-50 MPH.
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; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 910 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DLS The Dalles OR at 8:27 pm
- Destination: S33 Madras OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:46 pm from DLS, 12 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.