--- title: "An Experimental Flying Car Just Crashed During a Test" description: "Flying taxi startup Joby reported that it was involved in an accident, which resulted in \"substantial damage\" to the aircraft, but fortunately no injuries." date: "2022-02-18" modified: "2022-02-18" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/experimental-flying-car-crash" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "flying cars" - "flying taxis" - "the digest" --- # An Experimental Flying Car Just Crashed During a Test ![Flying taxi startup Joby reported that it was involved in an accident, which resulted in "substantial damage" to the aircraft, but fortunately no injuries.]() *\Image: Joby\* ## Crash Landing Flying taxi startup Joby says that one of its experimental vehicles has been involved in an accident, resulting in "substantial damage" to the aircraft — but fortunately no injuries, [*Bloomberg* reports](). The accident is [now being investigated]() the National Transportation Safety Board, and the news sent the startup's stock price on a dive — it's not exactly confidence-inducing to investors when they hear about a flying taxi going down. Details surrounding the crash are scarce. All we have to go by is Joby's [vague regulatory filing]() about an "experimental prototype aircraft" being "involved in an accident during flight testing at our remote flight test base in California." ## Setbacks Joby is working on a small, dronelike hexacopter capable of seating five passengers, covering a range of 150 miles, and reaching speeds of 200 mph. But the accident may represent a significant setback, especially when it comes to getting further authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration. Joby was hoping to start flying its flying taxis commercially within just two years, according to *Bloomberg*. But the company is now saying the crash was all part of the process. "Experimental flight test programs are intentionally designed to determine the limits of aircraft performance, and accidents are unfortunately a possibility," Joby's filing reads. "We will be supporting the relevant authorities in investigating the accident thoroughly." The company will now have to rely on a second prototype to continue testing. Fortunately nobody was injured, but it likely won't be the last time a flying taxi crashes. Public — and particularly investor — perception matters, which is only bound to make things even more challenging for startups like Joby. **READ MORE:** [Flying-Taxi Startup Joby Slumps After Test-Flight Accident]() \[*Bloomberg*\] **More on flying taxis:** *[NASA Begins Flight Testing an Electric Flying Taxi]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()