Amateur-built ELA 07 SCORPION accident near Sebring, Florida, May 7, 2018
On May 7, 2018 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 2017 amateur-built ELA 07 SCORPION (gyroplane), registered N534EA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Sebring, Florida (Sebring Rgnl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to slow the gyroplane and maintain control while exiting the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 2018 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sebring, Florida · Sebring Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ELA 07 SCORPION NO SERIES, built 2017
- Registration
- N534EA · registry record · serial 04175340734
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings in the experimental, amateur-built gyroplane. He landed on the runway and began a left turn to the taxiway. A witness stated that the rotor blades had a "high speed" of rotation after the gyroplane landed and that a main rotor blade struck the runway. Subsequently, the gyroplane spun and rolled onto its right side, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, main rotor, and tail section. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the gyroplane that would have precluded normal operation. He recommended that the accident might have been prevented by "slow[ing] down while making turns."
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private, sport pilot, student
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 1,623 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 1,517 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 23, 2017
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 55 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 21, 2017; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,234 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 914UL (piston); 55 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SEF Sebring FL at 3:00 pm
- Destination: SEF Sebring FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 5,234 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from SEF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on December 13, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Local Law Enforcement Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Observations | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.