Amateur-built SD1 MINISPORT accident near Butler, Ohio, June 23, 2021
On June 23, 2021 at about 2:15 pm local time, a 2017 amateur-built SD1 MINISPORT, registered N72DX, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Butler, Ohio (Freeman Swank Farms 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’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed following a partial loss of engine power, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain. The reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined based on available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2021 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Butler, Ohio · Freeman Swank Farms Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SD1 MINISPORT, built 2017
- Registration
- N72DX · registry record · serial 0194
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A line of trees paralleled the runway on the southwest side, and a cornfield was on the northeast side. As the pilot taxied to the end of runway 13, he noted a significant crosswind from over the tree line. After a normal runup, he increased to full power. Immediately after the airplane lifted off the ground, it drifted to the right over the cornfield. The airplane “seemed to have too little power to climb” and the airplane stalled, touching down in the field. The left main landing gear separated, and the airplane spun to a stop. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed a crack in the pressure vacuum line; however, it could not be determined whether the crack could have caused a reduction in engine power. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed following a partial loss of engine power during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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 takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Other weather encounter during takeoff
- Unknown or undetermined during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 365 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 330 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 31 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 25, 2020; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 588 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hirth F23 (piston); 31 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 4I3 Mount Vernon OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 9:52 am from KMFD, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 21, 2022. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 2 | On Scene Photos - Courtsey of the Federal Aviation Administration | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Postaccident Engine Examination | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Email A�� Meteorology | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Google Earth Photo of Airport | 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.