Amateur-built 636D4 accident near Okeechobee, Florida, April 10, 1996
On April 10, 1996 at about 9:15 pm local time, a amateur-built 636D4 (gyroplane), registered N7047J, was destroyed in an accident near Okeechobee, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the failure of the main rotor control connecting rod, which rendered the control stick unusable and led to a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 1996 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Okeechobee, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 636D4
- Registration
- N7047J · no longer on the register · serial 5101
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had been experiencing vibrations in the gyroplane. The passenger/mechanic went with the pilot on this flight to help determine the cause of the vibration. At a cruise altitude of about 900 feet above the ground, the gyroplane was observed in a vertical descent until it impacted the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the main rotor control connecting rod was broken at the rotor gear. Further examination revealed that the rear roll/pitch anchor point bolt for the control stick had worked loose and rendered the control stick unusable.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: gyroplane; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 490 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Canadian Air CAM 100 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OBE at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PBI, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.