Magni Builder Llc M-16 accident near Foley, AL
On December 9, 2024, a Magni Builder Llc M-16 (gyroplane) was involved in an accident near Foley, AL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 9, 2024
- Place
- Foley, AL
- Aircraft
- Magni Builder Llc M-16 · Gyroplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 30.428°N, 87.701°W
- NTSB ID
- 20241209199400
Official records · ERA25FA071
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 9, 2024, at 1332 central standard time, an experimental amateur-built M-16 gyroplane, N271BP, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Foley, Alabama. The sport pilot was fatally injured. The gyroplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The operator of the gyroplane and one of his employees, both gyroplane flight instructors, witnessed the accident flight. They each provided statements, and their versions of events were consistent throughout. The pilot started the gyroplane, taxied, performed an engine run-up, and initiated a takeoff from runway 18 at Foley Municipal Airport (5R4), Foley, Alabama, with no anomalies noted. The engine was at “full power” throughout the accident flight, and the sound of the engine was smooth and continuous until ground contact. The operator stated that, after rotation and liftoff, the gyroplane “wiggled around a little bit,” which motivated the operator to reach for a handheld radio to offer encouragement and counsel to the pilot, but no radio was available. The pilot “got the shakes out” and the gyroplane stabilized, accelerated, and climbed. The nose of the gyroplane “pitched up too much,” and full left rudder input was applied until the nose of the gyroplane was oriented 90° to the direction of flight. The operator noted a right cyclic input, which “unloaded” the rotor system and induced a “buntover” event. The gyroplane turned and rolled right, through inverted, before it impacted the runway in a nose-low, upright position. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot
Probable cause
The sport pilot’s failure to maintain control of the gyroplane during initial climb, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain.
More accidents in AL
- Beech C99, Jul 10, 1991
- Cessna 421A, Jun 22, 1983
- Cessna 421C, Jul 9, 2011
- Piper PA 31, Aug 14, 2016
- Beech 95-B55B, Dec 5, 1992
Browse: Alabama
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
