Important Disclaimer

This tool presents statistical analysis of NTSB accident data for experimental amateur-built aircraft. The data is provided for informational and educational purposes only.

This data should not be the sole basis for any aircraft purchase, build, or flight decision. Aviation safety depends on many factors not captured here, including pilot training, recency, weather decision-making, maintenance practices, and individual judgment.

Key limitations of this data:

  • Accident rates are fleet-level statistics — your personal risk depends heavily on how you fly, not just what you fly.
  • Small sample sizes for some aircraft types make their statistics unreliable. A single accident can change a type's fatal percentage significantly.
  • No per-type flight hour data exists for homebuilt aircraft, so true exposure-adjusted rates cannot be calculated.
  • Accident narratives are classified by an AI model, not by professional accident investigators. Classifications are approximate.

The analysis follows Ron Wanttaja's "initiator" methodology, which reframes NTSB probable cause data to identify the first event in the accident chain. This is an analytical framework, not an official NTSB classification.

If you are considering building or purchasing an experimental aircraft, consult experienced builders, flight instructors with type-specific experience, and your local EAA chapter. No website can substitute for hands-on guidance.

We believe safety data should be free and accessible to everyone in the experimental aircraft community. This tool is free to use and always will be. If you find it valuable, consider supporting the project.

Experimental Aircraft Safety

Aircraft Types

75 experimental amateur-built aircraft types tracked

Van's RV-6
28.9%
284 accidents82 fatalFleet: 537
Fleet accident rate: 1.89%/yr
Kitfox
13.2%
235 accidents31 fatalFleet: 946
Fleet accident rate: 0.86%/yr
Rotorway Exec
9.7%
134 accidents13 fatalFleet: 140
Fleet accident rate: 3.42%/yr
Van's RV-4
31.3%
131 accidents41 fatalFleet: 228
Fleet accident rate: 2.05%/yr
Van's RV-8
26.0%
127 accidents33 fatalFleet: 505
Fleet accident rate: 0.87%/yr
Glasair (I/II/III)
30.2%
126 accidents38 fatalFleet: 491
Fleet accident rate: 0.92%/yr
Pitts Special
29.1%
110 accidents32 fatalFleet: 528
Fleet accident rate: 0.74%/yr
Steen Skybolt
21.8%
110 accidents24 fatalFleet: 453
Fleet accident rate: 0.87%/yr
Zenith CH 601/650
18.3%
109 accidents20 fatalFleet: 378
Fleet accident rate: 1.07%/yr
Lancair 235/320/360
37.2%
94 accidents35 fatalFleet: 266
Fleet accident rate: 1.26%/yr
Van's RV-7
35.9%
92 accidents33 fatalFleet: 584
Fleet accident rate: 0.68%/yr
Zenith CH 701
13.1%
84 accidents11 fatalFleet: 354
Fleet accident rate: 0.88%/yr
Quad City Challenger
27.7%
83 accidents23 fatalFleet: 423
Fleet accident rate: 0.70%/yr
Avid Flyer
19.5%
82 accidents16 fatalFleet: 756
Fleet accident rate: 0.39%/yr
Velocity
22.5%
71 accidents16 fatalFleet: 236
Fleet accident rate: 1.07%/yr
Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey
15.5%
71 accidents11 fatalFleet: 242
Fleet accident rate: 1.05%/yr
Sonex/Waiex/Onex
30.0%
70 accidents21 fatalFleet: 479
Fleet accident rate: 0.56%/yr
Lancair IV/IV-P
45.5%
66 accidents30 fatalFleet: 202
Fleet accident rate: 1.17%/yr
Kolb
31.3%
64 accidents20 fatalFleet: 149
Fleet accident rate: 1.53%/yr
Rutan Long-EZ
17.5%
63 accidents11 fatalFleet: 371
Fleet accident rate: 0.61%/yr
GlaStar
15.5%
58 accidents9 fatalFleet: 274
Fleet accident rate: 0.76%/yr
Zenith CH 750
3.6%
55 accidents2 fatalFleet: 406
Fleet accident rate: 0.85%/yr
Thorp T-18
30.8%
52 accidents16 fatalFleet: 242
Fleet accident rate: 0.77%/yr
Pietenpol Air Camper
7.7%
52 accidents4 fatalFleet: 259
Fleet accident rate: 0.72%/yr
RANS S-12
41.2%
51 accidents21 fatalFleet: 86
Fleet accident rate: 2.20%/yr
KR-2
28.6%
49 accidents14 fatalFleet: 108
Fleet accident rate: 1.89%/yr
Van's RV-9
23.9%
46 accidents11 fatalFleet: 256
Fleet accident rate: 0.75%/yr
RANS S-6
24.4%
45 accidents11 fatalFleet: 193
Fleet accident rate: 0.83%/yr
Bushby Mustang II
22.2%
45 accidents10 fatalFleet: 91
Fleet accident rate: 1.83%/yr
Quicksilver
34.9%
43 accidents15 fatalFleet: 72
Fleet accident rate: 2.06%/yr
Van's RV-10
25.6%
39 accidents10 fatalFleet: 225
Fleet accident rate: 0.91%/yr
Rutan VariEze
26.3%
38 accidents10 fatalFleet: 211
Fleet accident rate: 0.72%/yr
Wittman Tailwind
32.4%
37 accidents12 fatalFleet: 127
Fleet accident rate: 1.08%/yr
Murphy Rebel/Moose
15.2%
33 accidents5 fatalFleet: 65
Fleet accident rate: 1.81%/yr
Bearhawk
9.7%
31 accidents3 fatalFleet: 155
Fleet accident rate: 1.05%/yr
Fisher Flying Products
16.1%
31 accidents5 fatalFleet: 72
Fleet accident rate: 1.66%/yr
Titan Tornado
35.5%
31 accidents11 fatalFleet: 70
Fleet accident rate: 1.77%/yr
Cozy/Cozy Mk IV
26.7%
30 accidents8 fatalFleet: 172
Fleet accident rate: 0.73%/yr
Bede BD-series
42.9%
28 accidents12 fatalFleet: 114
Fleet accident rate: 0.94%/yr
Acro Sport
21.4%
28 accidents6 fatalFleet: 102
Fleet accident rate: 1.10%/yr
Lancair Legacy
65.4%
26 accidents17 fatalFleet: 120
Fleet accident rate: 0.94%/yr
Lightning
16.7%
24 accidents4 fatal
RANS S-7
12.5%
24 accidents3 fatalFleet: 222
Fleet accident rate: 0.43%/yr
Just Aircraft Highlander
9.1%
22 accidents2 fatalFleet: 160
Fleet accident rate: 0.69%/yr
Just Aircraft SuperSTOL
4.5%
22 accidents1 fatalFleet: 117
Fleet accident rate: 1.57%/yr
AutoGyro (Cavalon/Calidus)
19.0%
21 accidents4 fatal
Titan T-51 Mustang
10.0%
20 accidents2 fatalFleet: 21
Fleet accident rate: 3.40%/yr
CubCrafters (E-AB)
15.0%
20 accidents3 fatalFleet: 14
Fleet accident rate: 10.99%/yr
Wheeler Express
70.0%
20 accidents14 fatalFleet: 43
Fleet accident rate: 1.66%/yr
Van's RV-3
33.3%
18 accidents6 fatalFleet: 32
Fleet accident rate: 2.01%/yr
Harmon Rocket
29.4%
17 accidents5 fatal
Bowers Fly Baby
41.2%
17 accidents7 fatalFleet: 124
Fleet accident rate: 0.65%/yr
Van's RV-12
31.3%
16 accidents5 fatalFleet: 31
Fleet accident rate: 3.23%/yr
Lockwood AirCam
31.3%
16 accidents5 fatal
Zenith CH 801
13.3%
15 accidents2 fatal
Comp Air
33.3%
15 accidents5 fatalFleet: 14
Fleet accident rate: 4.66%/yr
Safari Helicopter
33.3%
15 accidents5 fatal
Lancair ES
53.8%
13 accidents7 fatalFleet: 84
Fleet accident rate: 0.62%/yr
RANS S-18/19/20/21
38.5%
13 accidents5 fatal
Cassutt Racer
50.0%
12 accidents6 fatalFleet: 80
Fleet accident rate: 0.54%/yr
Hatz Biplane
0.0%
12 accidents0 fatalFleet: 117
Fleet accident rate: 0.45%/yr
Bensen Gyrocopter
25.0%
12 accidents3 fatal
Lancair Evolution
45.5%
11 accidents5 fatalFleet: 49
Fleet accident rate: 1.12%/yr
Great Lakes Biplane
27.3%
11 accidents3 fatalFleet: 60
Fleet accident rate: 0.71%/yr
Magni Gyro
20.0%
10 accidents2 fatal
Bakeng Duce
20.0%
10 accidents2 fatal
Smith Miniplane
20.0%
10 accidents2 fatal
Rutan Defiant
33.3%
9 accidents3 fatalFleet: 22
Fleet accident rate: 2.41%/yr
Midget Mustang
22.2%
9 accidents2 fatal
Van's RV-14
25.0%
8 accidents2 fatalFleet: 44
Fleet accident rate: 2.27%/yr
CGS Hawk
14.3%
7 accidents1 fatal
One Design
40.0%
5 accidents2 fatal
Hiperbipe
25.0%
4 accidents1 fatal
Glasair Sportsman
0.0%
3 accidents0 fatalFleet: 27
Fleet accident rate: 0.79%/yr
Mosquito Helicopter
0.0%
3 accidents0 fatal