Amateur-built Gyrobee accident near Chehalis, Washington, February 19, 2001
On February 19, 2001 at about 8:10 pm local time, a amateur-built Gyrobee (gyroplane), registered N392JL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chehalis, Washington (Chehalis-Centralia 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's reverse application of cyclic to counteract a right drift during the takeoff roll in a gyroplane whose controls had been designed reverse of standard. Contributing factors were the gusty wind conditions and the pilot's "expectancy" or reversion to habit patterns based on non-reversed controls from the majority of his flight experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 2001 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Chehalis, Washington · Chehalis-Centralia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Gyrobee
- Registration
- N392JL · no longer on the register · serial JAL01
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that about half way down the runway, he increased power to initiate a "crow-hop" maneuver. As the gyroplane started to become airborne it also began a right drift, which the pilot believed was from a left crosswind with slightly gusty wind conditions. The pilot reported that he "...adjusted the cyclic control to arrest the right drift..," that "...as the aircraft left the surface of the runway and became airborne, it immediately banked and drifted to the right...," and "...in attempting to adjust the cyclic control to level the aircraft, I either failed to move the control adequately, or I mistakenly moved it in the wrong direction...." The pilot reported a total of 918 hours of flight experience (all in rotorcraft) and 15 hours in the accident make. He also reported that "...the accident aircraft was fitted with an overhead cyclic control stick connected directly to the rotor head assembly..." and that "...this type of direct cyclic control can be described as having "reverse" control movements when compared to conventional cyclic control systems..." (e.g., to move the gyroplane right the pilot applies left cyclic). The majority of the pilot's flight experience was in "conventionally" controlled rotorcraft and he believed that he "...may have reverted back to [the] deeply imbedded control reflexes and moved the cyclic control in the wrong direction...."
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
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 918 hours in all; 15 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 15, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2000; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 625 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503DCDI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLS Chehalis WA at 8:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 16,000 ft; scat at 800 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from TDO, 14 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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.