SEVERAL WITNESSES, ALL OF WHICH WERE GYROCOPTER PILOTS, STATED THAT IT APPEARED THE PILOT ENTERED A PILOT INDUCED OSCILLATION (PIO) DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. A VIDEO TAPE OF THE ACCIDENT SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT ENTER A SERIES OF DIVERGENT NOSE UP AND NOSE DOWN MANEUVERS, THE FIRST OF WHICH WAS A NOSE PITCH UP. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY ENTERED A STEEP DESCENT, WENT INVERTED, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE A GYROCOPTER RATING AND HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF ABOUT 40 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN THE MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

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