Amateur-built VELOCITY accident near Valparaiso, Indiana, September 20, 1994
On September 20, 1994 at about 6:05 pm local time, a amateur-built VELOCITY, registered N107JD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Valparaiso, Indiana (Porter County 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-in-command's improper use of the elevator trim. A factor was the pilot-in-command's lack of total experience in type of aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 1994 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Valparaiso, Indiana · Porter County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VELOCITY
- Registration
- N107JD · registry record · serial DM062
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING A HIGH SPEED TAXI TEST WHEN THE AMATEUR BUILT AIRPLANE INADVERTENTLY BECAME AIRBORNE. THE PILOT DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE OPERATION OF THE PITCH TRIM SYSTEM, BUT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN PITCH CONTROL BY USE OF THE THROTTLE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER THE AIRPLANE FOR A LANDING ON RUNWAY 27, BUT WAS UNABLE TO AVOID IMPACT WITH A LIGHT STANCHION SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AND A HARD LANDING ON TOUCHDOWN.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 830 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 830 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 62 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 9, 1993; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 15 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.