NTSB DEN93LA003 — 1992-10-10 · BRYAN, Texas, United States

Current FAA registration · N532SB

Make / Model: OCONNOR DOUGLAS J SNO-BIRD XL
Year of manufacture: 1990 · 2 years old at event
Engine: BOMBARDIER ROTAX (ALL)
Seats / Engines: 1 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19910730
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A6B96D

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N532SB O'CONNOR SNO-BIRD XL Serious

Probable cause & findings

DELAMINATION OF THE RUDDER LEADING EDGE AND SUBSEQUENT JAMMING OF THE RUDDER.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT WAS DEMONSTRATING VARIOUS MANEUVERS IN HIS GYROCOPTER AT AN AIR SHOW. HE ENTERED A LEFT VERTICAL SPIN AND NOTED THE ENTRY WAS SLUGGISH. WHEN HE ADDED POWER TO AID IN SPIN DEVELOPMENT, THE RUDDER JAMMED FULL LEFT. EFFORTS TO RECOVER WERE TO NO AVAIL AND THE GYROCOPTER IMPACTED TERRAIN NEXT TO THE AIRPORT RUNWAY. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FIBERGLASS RUDDER HAD DELAMINATED AND HAD JAMMED THE RUDDER IN THE FULL LEFT POSITION. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_DEN93LA003.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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