Motorists have long dreamed about flying cars, but they’re still not common place despite the best efforts of a number of different companies.

One of the firms working on the idea is Detroit Flying Cars and they’ve suffered a major setback as their WD-1 prototype has crashed at Willow Run Airport in Michigan. According to WDIV and WXYZ, the crash happened shortly after 1 pm local time when the WD-1 was conducting a taxi test.

During the test, the plane unexpectedly went airborne and crashed back into the ground. There’s no word on how high the car flew, but the crash appears to have collapsed the landing gear and broken off the front part of the plane.

The pilot was the only person inside the aircraft and they were reportedly taken to the University of Michigan hospital following the accident. At this time, the pilot’s name and condition remains unknown.

While we’ve covered a handful of flying cars in the past, Detroit Flying Cars appears to be a relatively new company as its website’s oldest press release mentions a product unveiling the 2017 EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The company’s WD-1 features carbon fiber construction, a 26 foot (7.9 meter) wing span and a 100 hp (74 kW / 101 PS) engine.  The latter is designed to give the model a 400 mile (643 km) range and a 125 mph (201 km/h) cruising speed in airplane mode.

In car mode, the WD-1 is powered by a 53 hp (40 kW / 54 PS) electric motor. It can travel up to 50 miles (80 km) on electricity alone, before the engine is activated to recharge battery.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident and hopefully the pilot makes a full recovery.

Detroit Flying Cars-6 Flying Car Unexpectedly Goes Airborne During Test, Crashes To The Ground
Detroit Flying Cars-5 Flying Car Unexpectedly Goes Airborne During Test, Crashes To The Ground
Detroit Flying Cars-4 Flying Car Unexpectedly Goes Airborne During Test, Crashes To The Ground
Detroit Flying Cars-3 Flying Car Unexpectedly Goes Airborne During Test, Crashes To The Ground
Detroit Flying Cars-2 Flying Car Unexpectedly Goes Airborne During Test, Crashes To The Ground
Detroit Flying Cars-1 Flying Car Unexpectedly Goes Airborne During Test, Crashes To The Ground
Detroit Flying Cars-6 Flying Car Unexpectedly Goes Airborne During Test, Crashes To The Ground
Detroit Flying Cars-5 Flying Car Unexpectedly Goes Airborne During Test, Crashes To The Ground
Detroit Flying Cars-4 Flying Car Unexpectedly Goes Airborne During Test, Crashes To The Ground
Detroit Flying Cars-3 Flying Car Unexpectedly Goes Airborne During Test, Crashes To The Ground
Detroit Flying Cars-2 Flying Car Unexpectedly Goes Airborne During Test, Crashes To The Ground
Detroit Flying Cars-1 Flying Car Unexpectedly Goes Airborne During Test, Crashes To The Ground