Amateur-built DR-107 accident near San Diego, California, October 15, 2004
On October 15, 2004 at about 5:15 pm local time, a amateur-built DR-107, registered N31SH, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Diego, California (Miramar Marine Corps Air Sta airport). It was an air show or air race 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
the pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from terrain while performing low-level aerobatic maneuvers.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2004 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- San Diego, California · Miramar Marine Corps Air Sta · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DR-107
- Registration
- N31SH · no longer on the register · serial 273
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air show or air race flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted terrain while the pilot was performing low-level aerobatic maneuvers at an airshow. Review of videotaped footage of the pilot's performance showed that about 15 minutes into the flight, the pilot began a rolling maneuver that the airplane was to pull out of and continue parallel to the ground. The airplane never pulled out of the downward flight path and impacted terrain. This particular airshow was a milestone for the pilot and there may have been self-induced pressure to perform well.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,130 hours in all; 375 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: August 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,257 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KNKX Miramar CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from KNKX
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.