Amateur-built DN-1 accident near Grafton, West Virginia, January 22, 2001
On January 22, 2001 at about 9:30 pm local time, a amateur-built DN-1, registered N911N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grafton, West Virginia (Mason County Airport). It was a ferry 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 improper preflight planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. A factor was the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 2001 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Grafton, West Virginia · Mason County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DN-1
- Registration
- N911N · no longer on the register · serial 92
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to the day of the accident, the pilot had not flown the make and model accident airplane. He "topped off" the 24-gallon fuel tank with 21.5 gallons of fuel. The pilot then performed two takeoffs and landings to familiarize himself with the airplane. The familiarization flight lasted about 20 minutes, and then the pilot let the engine idle on the ground for approximately 20 minutes, before he departed about 1400 on a cross country flight. "About" 1630, a witness observed a blue and white airplane circling a lake about 200-300 feet above the ground. The witness heard the engine noise cease, return, and cease again. The airplane then disappeared from sight, and the wreckage was located 5 days later. It was about 1.5 miles from the lake, and 100 miles east of the destination airport. During examination of the wreckage, an FAA inspector did not find any fuel in the tanks or carburetor. He did find about 1/4 ounce of fuel in the fuel bowl. The inspector also found a piece of paper in the wreckage that revealed the pilot planned the flight to be 2 hours and 30 minutes, at 150 knots. However, the previous owner and a witness stated the airplane cruised about 110-120 knots. According to the engine manufacturer, the engine consumed about 7.2 gallons of fuel per hour at 75% cruise performance. Review of the data revealed that at performance cruise, for 3 hours and 15 minutes, the engine would consume approximately 23.4 gallons of fuel. Although the autopsy report indicated that the pilot died from the rupture of a pre-existing abdominal aortic aneurysm, evidence observed by rescue personnel suggested that the pilot initially survived the impact and attempted to activate the ELT and egress the airplane. Inspection of the ELT and maintenance records revealed that the batteries had been removed 6 days prior to the accident flight, and the entry "ELT removed for repairs this date" was made in the airframe logbook.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 789.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 16, 2001; 3.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,465 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BLM Belmar NJ at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 3I2 Point Pleasant WV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from CKB, 10 miles away
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.