Nathan Ulrich was an American engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, and pilot whose marriage to actress Rae Dawn Chong brought him wider public recognition. His work ranged from deep-ocean robotics to personal transportation and race-car design. He died at age 52 following a plane crash near the Bahamas in May 2017.
Quick Bio of Nathan Thatcher Ulrich
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Nathan Thatcher Ulrich |
| Known As | Nathan Ulrich |
| Profession | Engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, and pilot |
| Date of Birth | Not publicly confirmed |
| Date of Death | May 15, 2017 |
| Age at Death | 52 years old |
| Birthplace | Not publicly confirmed |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BS, 1987; MS, 1989; PhD, 1990) |
| Former Spouse | Rae Dawn Chong (married 2011–2014) |
| Partner at Time of Death | Jennifer Blumin |
| Known For | Xootr scooter, underwater robotics, engineering patents, and Radon Rn.10 racing car |
| Estimated Net Worth | Not publicly confirmed |
Who Was Nathan Ulrich?
Ulrich held three engineering degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution before helping develop the Xootr scooter and the Radon Rn.10 racing car. His expertise included robotics, computer-aided design, and mechanical systems. Woods Hole credited him with contributions to more than 20 patents. At the time of his death, he lived in Lee, New Hampshire.
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Early Life, Family, and Education
Few reliable details about Ulrich’s childhood, exact birth date, or birthplace are publicly established. His mother, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, is a historian who won the Pulitzer Prize for History for A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785–1812. His father, Gael Ulrich, spoke to reporters after the 2017 disappearance. His brother Karl Ulrich, also an engineer, later collaborated with him on Xootr.
At the University of Pennsylvania, Ulrich earned a Bachelor of Science in 1987, a master’s degree in 1989, and a PhD in 1990. His doctoral work examined robotic manipulators and their mechanical design. Earlier research, Grasping with Mechanical Intelligence, appeared in NASA’s technical archive in 1988 and explored robotic grasping systems.
Engineering Career and Inventions
Underwater Robotics at Woods Hole
Ulrich joined the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts as a postdoctoral researcher in 1990 and became an assistant scientist in 1991. Until his departure in 1994, he worked in the Deep Submergence Laboratory on robotic systems for challenging underwater environments. He also advised students in the MIT–WHOI Joint Program, applying his research to equipment intended to operate where direct human intervention was difficult.
Xootr and Transportation Design
One of his best-known projects was the Xootr, a compact scooter designed for adult transportation. He developed it with his brother Karl through the business associated with Nova Cruz Products, where Nathan held a senior technical position. In a December 2001 Computer Graphics World interview, he described how an exchange of ideas between the brothers led him to create a computer-aided model.
During the scooter boom around 2000, Ulrich said the business expanded to roughly 50 employees and production reached about 1,500 scooters a week. Those figures came from his account rather than audited company records. American Machinist identified him as Nova Cruz’s chief technical officer in January 2002 and described his involvement in manufacturing, prototyping, and the Xootr eX3 electric scooter.
His inventions also included folding mobility designs. Patent records name Nathan T. Ulrich among the inventors of a folding scooter patented in September 2002 and, alongside Karl, a folding bicycle patented in February 2009. Woods Hole additionally credited him with work involving powered wheelchair assistance, electric scooters, motorcycles, and racing vehicles.
Radon Sport and Racing Cars
Ulrich became technical director of Radon Sport, which announced the Radon Rn.10 in December 2009 for F2000 competition. The project drew on specialists in vehicle engineering and aerodynamics, with design priorities that included performance and safety. He had an athletic background as well: a Woods Hole colleague recalled his participation in basketball and the decathlon at university.
Marriage to Rae Dawn Chong
Ulrich married Rae Dawn Chong in 2011; their divorce was reported in 2014. Chong, the daughter of entertainer Tommy Chong, is known for Quest for Fire, The Color Purple, Commando, and Soul Man. Reliable public sources provide little detail about how the couple met, their wedding, or why they separated, and there is no sound basis for speculating about their private disagreements.
Following the aircraft’s disappearance, Chong told the New York Daily News that she regarded her former husband as an excellent pilot and had flown long distances with him. She initially suspected a mechanical problem. Those remarks were her assessment during the search, not a conclusion later reached by investigators.
Jennifer Blumin and Personal Life
By May 2017, Ulrich was in a relationship with Jennifer Blumin, a New York entrepreneur associated with Skylight Group and its event spaces. Blumin’s two sons, aged three and four, were traveling with the couple. Reports identified architect James Ramsey as the boys’ father; they should not be described as Ulrich’s biological children. Whether Ulrich had children of his own has not been reliably established.
Although searches sometimes connect him with Oshkosh, Wisconsin, or other locations, records concerning people with similar names should not be assigned to him without verification. Lee, New Hampshire, is documented as his residence in 2017, not his birthplace. His personal wealth, height, and other frequently circulated biographical details likewise remain unverified; online net-worth figures are unofficial estimates.
The May 2017 Plane Crash
On May 15, 2017, Ulrich was piloting a Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, registration N220N, from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, toward Titusville, Florida. Jennifer Blumin and her sons were passengers. The aircraft lost radar and radio contact over the Atlantic near Eleuthera, Bahamas, prompting a search by the U.S. Coast Guard and other authorities.
On May 16, search crews located an aircraft debris field and a fuel sheen east of Eleuthera. The Coast Guard suspended its active search on May 18 after more than 75 hours of operations covering over 11,140 square miles. Although wreckage was found, available official records do not establish that Ulrich’s remains were recovered. Woods Hole subsequently acknowledged his death in an institutional obituary.
What Investigators Determined
The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the fatal accident under case ERA17FA181. It found that the pilot continued into known thunderstorm activity and icing conditions, followed by loss of aircraft control. Investigators considered the available weather, flight information, and his experience; possible fatigue was examined but not established as a definitive cause.
Because the principal wreckage was unavailable for a complete physical examination, some technical questions remained unresolved. Early reports had described the disappearance as a mystery, occasionally invoking the Bermuda Triangle. The NTSB’s findings instead centered on hazardous weather and loss of control, without supporting supernatural explanations. Nor did they confirm Chong’s initial suspicion of mechanical failure.
Obituary, Public Image, and Legacy
Woods Hole’s obituary documented Ulrich’s research, inventions, and colleagues’ recollections. The Xootr, his robotics work, transportation patents, and Radon Rn.10 provide a more complete picture of him than his connection to a Hollywood actress. He was an engineer and entrepreneur, not primarily an actor, and claims about his fortune or private life should not be presented as facts.
His contributions remain documented through technical publications, patent records, and institutional archives. As of October 2026, the official aviation investigation and those professional records provide the most substantial verified account of his life and legacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Nathan Ulrich?
Nathan Ulrich was an American engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, and pilot known for developing the Xootr scooter and for his former marriage to actress Rae Dawn Chong.
Was Nathan Ulrich married to Rae Dawn Chong?
Yes. Nathan Ulrich married actress Rae Dawn Chong in 2011. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2014.
What happened to Nathan Ulrich?
Nathan Ulrich died at age 52 following a plane crash near the Bahamas on May 15, 2017. The NTSB identified hazardous weather and loss of aircraft control as central factors.
Was Nathan Ulrich ever found after the plane crash?
Search teams discovered aircraft debris near Eleuthera, Bahamas, but official records do not confirm that Nathan Ulrich’s remains were recovered.
Who was Nathan Ulrich dating when he died?
Nathan Ulrich was in a relationship with New York entrepreneur Jennifer Blumin. She and her two young sons were aboard the aircraft when it crashed in May 2017.
Conclusion
Nathan Ulrich combined academic robotics with practical invention and motorsport engineering. His marriage to Rae Dawn Chong and his death in the 2017 aircraft accident brought broader attention to his life, but his technical achievements stand on their own. Official findings explain the central circumstances of the crash while leaving some questions unresolved, a distinction essential to an accurate account of his story.
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