Cress CRESS B-8-M (BENSEN) accident near Williston, FL
On January 24, 1997, a Cress CRESS B-8-M (BENSEN) (gyroplane) was involved in an accident near Williston, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 24, 1997
- Place
- Williston, FL
- Aircraft
- Cress CRESS B-8-M (BENSEN) · Gyroplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 29.370°N, 82.450°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07339
NTSB summary
On January 24, 1997, about 1739 eastern standard time, a homebuilt gyroplane, N3495, registered to a private individual, crashed while maneuvering at the Williston Municipal Airport, Williston, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The gyroplane was destroyed and the student pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated about 9 minutes earlier. According to an FAA inspector who examined the accident site, the flight departed down runway 22 flying about 40-50 feet above ground level, then at the intersection of runway 14, the pilot initiated a left turn. Witnesses heard the engine power increase then decrease twice then heard a "popped" sound similar to an engine backfiring just before the gyroplane impacted the ground. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident. The gyroplane crashed on runway 14 while on an easterly heading. Two ground scars on the runway were noted to be perpendicular to the flight path and both of the wooden propeller blades were observed to be shattered. One of the main rotor blades was separated but was located about 10 feet south of the crash site. Examination of that blade revealed it was bent downward at about a 45-degree angle about midspan of the blade and the leading edge near the tip was displaced aft. Examination of the blade attached to the mast assembly revealed compression wrinkles on the bottom side of the blade. Fuel and oil stains were noted on the runway beneath the wreckage. Examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunctio
Probable cause
failure of the pilot to maintain rotor rpm, while maneuvering, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain.
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Browse: Florida
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
