Magniflight M24 ORION PLUS N1777W

Summary

On 30 May 2023 at about 16:01 local time, a Magniflight M24 ORION PLUS registered N1777W was involved in an accident near Dauphin Island, Alabama, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 May 2023 at 16:01

Classification

Accident

Location

Dauphin Island, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

None

Coordinates

30.2605, -88.1275

Aircraft

Magniflight M24 ORION PLUS

Registration

N1777W

Category

Gyrocraft

Year built

2022

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gulf Shores → Dauphin Island

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA251

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to a loss of combustion in the No. 4 cylinder for undetermined reasons.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the gyroplane reported several lane warnings during the flight, which indicated possible disruptions to the fuel/ignition timing by the engine’s digital engine control unit (ECU). The ECU was comprised of two modules that worked in sync with each other to monitor numerous sensors throughout the engine. Although the pilot tried to reset the lane warning several times, the engine lost partial power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and made a forced landing in tall grass, during which the gyroplane rolled over and substantial damage. A postaccident examination and test run of the engine revealed no obvious mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have contributed to the accident. Data downloaded from the engine’s digital ECU and an electronic flight information system (EFIS) revealed that, at the time of the partial loss of engine power, the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) reading for the No. 4 cylinder dropped to levels indicating that combustion was no longer occurring within the cylinder. The loss of combustion in the No. 4 cylinder likely resulted in the partial power loss of the engine. The cause of the loss of combustion in the No. 4 cylinder could not be determined with the available engine ECU and EFIS data. Along with the engine data, the fact that the engine ran after the accident indicated there was likely an intermittent issue with the fuel/air delivery or the ignition to the No. 4 cylinder that could not be duplicated.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.