Amateur-built Pulsar 912XP accident near Plato Center, Illinois, August 21, 2007
On August 21, 2007 at about 7:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Pulsar 912XP, registered N912GR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Plato Center, Illinois (Plato Center Airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed. Factors were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft and pilot's failure to maintain altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 2007 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Plato Center, Illinois · Plato Center Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Pulsar 912XP
- Registration
- N912GR · registry record · serial 329
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot allowed the approach speed to deteriorate during landing, causing an unrecoverable loss in altitude. The pilot made an off-field landing into a corn field.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 97 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0.5 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 1, 2007; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,060 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LL53 Plato Center IL at 7:00 pm
- Destination: LL53 Plato Center IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 2,400 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N912GR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI07CA275.