Amateur-built KR2 accident near Baker, Florida, June 30, 2017
On June 30, 2017 at about 4:38 pm local time, a 2017 amateur-built KR2, registered N269HJ, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Baker, Florida (Skypark Estates Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. 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 engine revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- June 30, 2017 · about 4:38 pm local time
- Place
- Baker, Florida · Skypark Estates Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KR2, built 2017
- Registration
- N269HJ · no longer on the register · serial 8362
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was preparing to fly the experimental amateur-built airplane on a local, Phase 1 test flight. The pilot reported that ground operations were normal, including the engine run-up. Shortly after takeoff, about halfway down the runway, the engine sputtered, hesitated, and then lost partial power. The pilot had passed the point at which he could land the airplane straight ahead on the runway, so he looked for a place to conduct a forced landing. During the forced landing, he turned the airplane to avoid nearby houses and then steepened the turn due to wind that was pushing the airplane left. The airplane subsequently collided with the ground and fragmented into multiple sections. The pilot did not recall the impact sequence due to injuries he sustained during the accident. The fragmentation of the airframe was consistent with an in-flight loss of airplane control before ground impact. Examination of the engine, including a full disassembly, did not reveal evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.
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
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
- Other weather encounter during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 12 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-170 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 18FD Baker FL at 4:38 pm
- Destination: 18FD Baker FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,015 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from CEW, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on December 13, 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 | Memorandum for Record - Pilot Interview | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement - Jones | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement - Roberts | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Cmi Engine Examination Report | PDF, 22 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 14 pages | 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.