- Date
- November 21, 1987, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tehachapi, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N333JEIsgrigg Elite
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 7, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871121066479A
- Case key
- 25736
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 homebuilt gyroplane became uncontrollable during take-off roll on runway 27R. The aircraft pitched up and then rolled on its left side. The national weather service reported the winds in the area at the time of the accident to be from 290 degrees at 12-15 knots. The pilot indicated in his statement that he believed he encountered cyclonic wind phenomena known as 'dust devils.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N333JE
- Reported as
- Isgrigg Elite
- Category
- Gyroplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JI1-263
- Airframe hours
- 13
- Engine
- Rotax 532, 64 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Isgrigg, John
- Registered owner
- Isgrigg, John S.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · August 17, 1987 · 13 hours before
- Airport
- L94 · Fantasy Haven, runway 27R, 5,190 × 60 ft, gravel
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
- 33
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,526 total · 16 in this make and model · 2,407 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.