ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 87560
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| Date: | Friday 29 June 1984 |
| Time: | c. 1030 |
| Type: |  Bensen B8M |
| Owner/operator: | C C Gibson & J R Finer |
| Registration: | ZK-RAT |
| MSN: | NZRA/R11 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Hawera, Taranaki -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Private farm airstrip |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
Pilot: Colin Charles Gibson. R.I.P.
Location: 9 km north of Hawera.
The pilot took off at about 1020 with the intention of making a 20-minute flight in which he would take some photographs and repeat part of the flight test program from the previous day.
The aircraft had flown a total of 39 hours at this stage.
The weather was suitable for flying with a wind that was from the NE, light and variable and gusty at times.
The aircraft was observed apparently flying normally, when it pitched down into a dive at an angle of about 45 degrees. The dive was recovered from with the Benson coming back to level, or slightly nose up, flight.
It then rolled to the left and dived about 300 feet to the ground.
The aircraft struck the ground at a pitch down angle of 103 degrees, ( passed vertical ) and was destroyed. Fire did not occur. The pilot was killed instantly.
Examination of the wreckage showed that the rotor blades had struck the rudder and had been damaged, one of them being bent upwards by about 40 degrees.
The accident investigator made the following conclusions : " 3.5. During the flight the aircraft entered a dive, the cause of which was not established.
3.6. During recovery from the dive, the rotor blades struck the aircraft's rudder, causing an irretrievable loss of control in the ensuing vertical dive.
3.7. Probable cause : The probable cause of this accident was an irretrievable loss of control consequent upon the rotor blades striking the aircraft's rudder during a dive recovery manoeuvre.
Aircraft Accident Report No. 84-067.
Sources:
1. http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewEntity.do?code=7333
2. AHSNZ, 1985, Register Review 34
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Jan-2011 14:00 | ASN archive | |
| 22-Jun-2011 19:04 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Damage, Narrative] |
| 22-Jun-2011 23:35 | angels one five | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 23-Jun-2011 06:32 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 27-May-2014 10:04 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 18-May-2018 04:06 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 23-Jan-2022 02:55 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 26-Jan-2022 06:27 | Ron Averes | Updated [Cn] |
| 07-Feb-2022 06:11 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
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