Amateur-built GR-7 accident near Temecula, California, March 17, 1996
On March 17, 1996 at about 6:00 pm local time, a amateur-built GR-7, registered N555GR, was destroyed in an accident near Temecula, California (French Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane, while performing an aerobatic maneuver, which resulted in inadvertent entry into a spin. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's lack of recent experience in fixed wing aircraft, his lack of experience in the make and model of airplane, and the lack of altitude to recover from an inadvertent spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 1996 · about 6:00 pm local time · cases in 1996
- Place
- Temecula, California · French Valley · cases near this airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built GR-7
- Registration
- N555GR · registry record · serial 001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had recently purchased the airplane, and reportedly, this was his first flight in the plane. Witnesses stated the airplane took off and climbed to about 2,000 feet agl in the traffic pattern. The airplane was observed to maneuver through a full right roll and recover; then it entered a 2-turn spin to the right. Witnesses said the spin stopped, then started again, this time to the left. The left spin continued to ground impact. No discrepancies were identified during an examination of the wreckage. The pilot was a military aviator assigned to fly Sikorsky CH53E helicopters. A review of available pilot records did not disclosed evidence of recent fixed-wing flight activity.
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: commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,039 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 13 in the last 30 days; 839 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 93 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 1996; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F70 at 5:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 1.2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 400 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from RIV, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N555GR on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Continental C-90 2,149 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- French Valley Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,134 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX96LA137.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.