FutureFlight
Joby's Second eVTOL Prototype Restarts Flight Testing After Accident
The company is working with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the cause of a February 16 crash involving its first prototype aircraft.
Joby's first preproduction prototype eVTOL aircraft.
After Joby's first preproduction prototype eVTOL aircraft was damaged in an accident, the company has now resumed flight testing with a second example of the all-electric vehicle. (Image: Joby Aviation)

Joby Aviation’s second preproduction eVTOL prototype has resumed flight testing five weeks after an accident on February 16 in which the first of the full-scale aircraft was badly damaged. On Thursday, the company confirmed that its internal safety review board lifted a pause in flight testing earlier this week.

The second aircraft made its first flight in January after both the FAA and the U.S. Air Force issued airworthiness approvals for the all-electric, four-passenger model. At the time, Joby said it intended to use it primarily for flight testing as part of a contract under the Air Force’s Agility Prime program to evaluate eVTOL aircraft for possible military missions. In its March 24 announcement, Joby indicated that it will now mainly be used for flight testing as part of efforts to complete FAA type certification.