Amateur-built DR-1 N500PY accident near Plain City, Ohio

Probable cause

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

NTSB analysis

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.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN16LA353 for the full record.