Aviation has a wonderful way of keeping us humble. Not every DLC flight attempt ended exactly as planned. Some demonstrated that gravity remains undefeated. And a few made spectacular contributions to what engineers affectionately call “learning opportunities.” According to DARPA Lift Challenge Program Manager, Phillip “Donna” Smith, “failure isn’t the opposite of progress; it is often the fastest path toward it.”

Source: Lift Happens: Best of DARPA Lift Challenge Crashes