Amateur-built 1RG accident near Hagerstown, Maryland, September 23, 2020
On September 23, 2020 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 1990 amateur-built 1RG, registered N324DJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern crosswind) near Hagerstown, Maryland (Hagerstown Regional Airport-Ri). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2020 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hagerstown, Maryland · Hagerstown Regional Airport-Ri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 1RG NO SERIES, built 1990
- Registration
- N324DJ · no longer on the register · serial 324
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot dropped off the airplane for repairs 6 months before the accident with the fuel tanks about half full of fuel. When the pilot picked up the airplane, he completed a preflight inspection and observed fuel in the fuel tanks but could not say how much fuel was present. He did not add any fuel. He took off and stayed in the traffic pattern, and after his third touch-and-go landing, the engine lost all power. The pilot circled to land on an intersecting runway, and the airplane stalled while on final approach to the runway. The airplane contacted the terrain short of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and the left wing. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any fuel in the tanks, and no preimpact mechanical malfunctions were identified. It is likely that the engine consumed the remaining fuel during the engine run-up, taxi, and subsequent touch-and-go landings, resulting in the loss of engine power.
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during approach (VFR pattern crosswind) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,139 hours in all; 217 in this make and model; 1,551 as pilot in command; 271 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 12, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 23, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 02, 3,165 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from HGR, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KHGR 231553Z 32008KT 10SM CLR 23/08 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP175 T02330083
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on September 23, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Interview | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Engine Examination | PDF, 6 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.