Amateur-built Easy Raider accident near Rochester, Indiana, August 14, 2017
On August 14, 2017 at about 11:20 pm local time, a amateur-built Easy Raider, registered N6862K, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Rochester, Indiana (Fulton County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 2017 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Rochester, Indiana · Fulton County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Easy Raider
- Registration
- N6862K · registry record · serial ER012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot, who was the builder of the experimental, amateur-built airplane, reported that the engine had recently been rebuilt and installed on the airplane. The engine had a "couple" of hours of ground run-up time, and the accident occurred on the first flight. The pilot was "crow-hopping" the airplane on the runway when he decided to take off. Upon reaching about 500 ft above the ground, the engine stopped responding to throttle control movements and the propeller continued to rotate. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude, and he landed the airplane in a factory parking lot, where it hit a steel handrail. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any reason for the loss of engine response. A review of the weather conditions revealed that carburetor ice was unlikely at takeoff engine power settings.
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 (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RCR Rochester IN at 11:20 pm
- Destination: RCR Rochester IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 pm from RCR
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 April 24, 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 | Record of Conversations | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Icing Probability Chart | PDF, 1 page | 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.