Amateur-built Q2 accident near Shelbyville, Indiana, February 25, 2000
On February 25, 2000 at about 6:35 pm local time, a amateur-built Q2, registered N84DG, was destroyed in an accident near Shelbyville, Indiana (Shelbyville Municipal 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
aircraft control not being maintained by the pilot during the attempted go-around. Factors to the accident were the inadequate preflight by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. An additional factor to the accident was the inadvertent stall/mush.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 2000 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Shelbyville, Indiana · Shelbyville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Q2
- Registration
- N84DG · no longer on the register · serial Q2461
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness to the accident reported that during an attempted go-around the airplane's engine was missing and running rough. The witness stated that the airplane entered a descending left turn, impacting the terrain in a 30-45 degree left bank. Post accident inspection of the airplane revealed that the main and header fuel tanks had ruptured, but no fuel spill or fuel odor was noted at the accident site. Witnesses/first responders to the accident site reported that there were no fuel odors around the accident site. Inspection of the engine failed to reveal any anomalies that could be associated with any preexisting condition. A fuel receipt was obtained for the accident airplane's last fueling. The date of the fuel receipt was listed as November 28, 1999, and 6.2 gallons of fuel were purchased for the accident airplane.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,550 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 318 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Revmaster 2100 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GEZ at 6:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 16 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 162°F (72°C), dew point 131°F (55°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from GEZ
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.