- Date
- June 18, 1988, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Orlando, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N33KAKennedy Skycycle 2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880618063739A
- Case key
- 32024
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The gyroplane was on a local demonstration flt. The passenger (pax) stated the plt took off, climbed to aprx 500 ft AGL,descended to aprx 20 ft AGL & maneuvered near observers. He said the plt then added power & initiated a 30 deg climb attitude. The pax remembered experiencing a negative 'g' sensation & said the plt was moving the stick around, trying to find out 'where they were.' The gyroplane then descended & struck the ground. An exam of the acft revealed no evidence of failure or malfunction of the powerplant, airframe or flt controls. The plt did not have the required rotorcraft category & gyroplane class rating. His medical certificate required him to wear correcting lenses while exercising the privileges of his airman certificate. According to a witness, the plt was not wearing glasses. The gyroplane had not been issued an airworthiness certificate by the FAA.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N33KA
- Reported as
- Kennedy Skycycle 2
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 003
- Engine
- Rotax 532, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kennedy, Paul E
- Registered owner
- Kennedy Aircraft Co., Inc.
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCO, 12 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.