Amateur-built BR-1 accident near Brigham City, Utah, June 22, 2016
On June 22, 2016 at about 2:00 pm local time, a 2011 amateur-built BR-1, registered N677DB, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Brigham City, Utah. 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
A loss of engine power as a result of a failure of the primary and backup ignition system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 2016 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Brigham City, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BR-1, built 2011
- Registration
- N677DB · no longer on the register · serial 0001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental amateur-built airplane was being flown to test airplane maneuvers. The pilot reported that about 20 minutes after takeoff, the engine lost complete power. An annunciation light indicated that the primary ignition system was not operating, so the pilot switched to the backup ignition system and then the backup battery, but the engine did not respond. The pilot executed a landing into a field. During landing the landing gear caught in the rough, soft ground, and the airplane cartwheeled. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed a short circuit in the primary ignition system, but the source of the short circuit could not be determined. Although the ignition system had both a backup power source and backup ignition coils, they shared a common power bus with the primary ignition system. A short circuit of this bus would have rendered both the primary and backup ignition sources inoperable.
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 (total) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Ignition system wiring › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Electrical pwr sys wiring › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,051 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 11, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 18, 2016; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Burkes GTSIV-120XR (piston); 38 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGD Ogden UT at 1:40 pm
- Destination: OGD Ogden UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from OGD, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Email - Ignition System Exam | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Postaccident Photos of the Airplane | PDF, 2 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.