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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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September 4, 2016 · Stanton DR-1 · N500PY

Plain City, OH

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
September 4, 2016
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 serious injury)
Location
Plain City, OH
Aircraft
Stanton DR-1 (2015)
Tail Number
N500PY
Injuries
Serious
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CEN16LA353

The private pilot reported that the experimental, amateur-built airplane inadvertently became airborne during a high-speed taxi test. Two witnesses said that the airplane was in level flight about 200 ft above ground level and heading toward a tree line when the engine lost power. The airplane abruptly nosed straight down, struck a backyard playground set and hickory trees, and impacted the ground. The airplane came to rest upright about 5 ft from the initial impact crater and about 1/2 mile from the departure end of the pilot's private runway. The engine was not examined, and the pilot did not respond to inquiries regarding the accident.

NTSB Probable Cause

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

Full Narrative

On September 4, 2016, about 1940 eastern daylight time, a Stanton DR-1, an amateur-built replica of a Fokker Triplane, N500PY, was substantially damage when the engine lost power and collided with objects and terrain near Plain City, Ohio. The pilot was seriously injured. There were no ground injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot had been building the airplane for several years. For several months, he been conducting taxi tests in preparation for its maiden flight. He told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that the airplane inadvertently became airborne during his last high-speed taxi test. Witnesses saw the airplane in level flight about 200 feet above ground level and headed towards a tree line when the engine lost power. The airplane abruptly nosed straight down, struck a backyard playground set and hickory trees, and impacted the ground. FAA inspectors said the airplane came to rest upright about five feet from the initial impact crater and about one-half mile from the departure end of the pilot's private runway. There was a slight fuel leak but no fire. The inspectors were unable to determine why the engine lost power. The pilot did not respond to inquiries.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time18:40 EDT
Nearest AirportSTANTON (1nm SE)
Runway14
Runway Length3300 ft
Runway Width100 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftStanton DR-1
Tail NumberN500PY
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsSubaru · EA 81 · Reciprocating · 73
Seats1

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 serious injury)
Fatal0
Serious1
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 53 · Third Class · Serious

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind110° @ 6 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point55
Altimeter30.19 inHg
Observation Time22:53
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data