Mareik-Bensen B-8M N7045

Summary

On 19 June 1983 at about 01:30 local time, a Mareik-Bensen B-8M registered N7045 was involved in an accident near Santa Maria, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

19 June 1983 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Maria, California, United States

Nearest airport

Northside Airpark (CR1)

Coordinates

34.8193, -120.4093

Aircraft

Mareik-Bensen B-8M

Registration

N7045

Category

Gyrocraft

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Maria → Santa Maria

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX83LUQ03

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE GRYOPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO DEPART FROM CONTROLLED FLT AT OR BELOW 800 FT AGL & THE PLT BECAME SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT. BOTH IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT ABOUT 40 FT APART. THE PLT'S BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT WAS 0.13%. THE CLASP ENDS OF THE SEAT BELT STRAPS WERE OPEN. BOTH WEBBINGS OF THE TWO STRAPS WERE IMPREGNATED WITH GREASE & FOREIGNMATERIAL. THE METAL CLASP 'GRIPS' WERE ROUNDED OFF & THE GROOVES BETWEEN THEM CONTAINED FOREIGN MATERIAL. THE LEFT STRAPSTICHING ON THE UPPER EDGE OF THE STRAP WAS WORN & DETERIORATED ALONG A LENGTH OF 6 INCHES IN THE AREA WHERE THE METAL CLASP WOULD NORMALLY BE CLASPED WHEN AROUND AN OCCUPANT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE SEAT BELTS WERE CLASPED TOGETHER & SEVERAL HARD TUGS WITH ONE HAND WAS SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE SEAT BELT TO COME OPEN. THIS PROCEDURE WAS TESTED SIX TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.