Amateur-built GYPSY HAWK accident near Hemet, California, February 14, 1983
On February 14, 1983 at about 5:00 am local time, a amateur-built GYPSY HAWK, registered N71RJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hemet, California (Hemet-Ryan airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 14, 1983 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Hemet, California · Hemet-Ryan
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GYPSY HAWK
- Registration
- N71RJ · registry record · serial 1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT NOSED OVER DURING A FORCED LANDING AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT DURING THE DEPARTURE PHASE OF A TOUCH & GO LANDING. THE OWNER WOULD NOT ALLOW INSPECTION OF THE ACFT FOR 4 MONTHS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION PARTS OF THE ACFT, INCLUDING THE ENGINE, WERE REMOVED AND STORED AT ANOTHER LOCATION.
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: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 7 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Unknown (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 251 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 13, 1983; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Riverside CA
- Destination: Hemet CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,315 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N71RJ the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX83FUG19.