Amateur-built DR-1 accident near Plain City, Ohio, September 4, 2016
On September 4, 2016 at about 10:40 pm local time, a 2015 amateur-built DR-1, registered N500PY, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Plain City, Ohio (Stanton airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2016 · about 10:40 pm local time
- Place
- Plain City, Ohio · Stanton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DR-1, built 2015
- Registration
- N500PY · no longer on the register · serial 02272007
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that the experimental, amateur-built airplane inadvertently became airborne during a high-speed taxi test. Two witnesses said that the airplane was in level flight about 200 ft above ground level and heading toward a tree line when the engine lost power. The airplane abruptly nosed straight down, struck a backyard playground set and hickory trees, and impacted the ground. The airplane came to rest upright about 5 ft from the initial impact crater and about 1/2 mile from the departure end of the pilot's private runway. The engine was not examined, and the pilot did not respond to inquiries regarding the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 1, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,291 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru EA 81 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: None Plain City OH at 7:40 pm
- Destination: None Plain City OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 3,300 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from OSU, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 15, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memorandum of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.