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20130806017009A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Stetson Norman B CHALLENGER II · Orange, MA · August 6, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 6, 2013 · 13:00 local
Place
Orange, MA
Airport
Orange Municipal
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N94454
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA13CA354
Reported as
Stetson Norman B Challenger II
Reported engine
ROTAX 503
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
100 total7 in the last 90 days
N94454Registration cancelled Oct 6, 2017 · Stetson Norman B CHALLENGER IIS/N CH2-0587-B-0256 · Built 1988Airframe modelStetson Norman B CHALLENGER IIEngine modelRotax 503 series2 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

At approximately 1:00PM eastern daylight time (EDT) N94454, a Challenger II experimental homebuilt, crashed during takeoff at Orange Municipal Airport located in Orange, MA. During climbout the aircraft?s left wing dropped. The pilot stated he applied full right aileron to raise the left wing with no effect. He then lowered the nose and continued the left turn using rudder only. The left turn was continued almost 360 degrees while in a nose down attitude. The aircraft impacted an area of large brush and small trees approximately 400 feet adjacent to the runway.

A student pilot on a solo cross-country flight witnessed the event. The student pilot was on a taxiway that was perpendicular to the departure end runway the accident aircraft was using for takeoff. The first time the student pilot saw the airplane it was in a level attitude then descended slightly. The student pilot then observed the airplane pitch up about 45 degrees. Then the left wing dropped and the airplane entered a left turn. The student pilot lost sight of the airplane as it continued the left turn and passed out of sight over the left wing.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 1:00PM EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT) N94454, A CHALLENGER II EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT, CRASHED DURING TAKEOFF AT ORANGE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT LOCATED IN ORANGE, MA. DURING CLIMBOUT THE AIRCRAFT?S LEFT WING DROPPED. THE PILOT STATED HE APPLIED FULL RIGHT AILERON TO RAISE THE LEFT WING WITH NO EFFECT. HE THEN LOWERED THE NOSE AND CONTINUED THE LEFT TURN USING RUDDER ONLY. THE LEFT TURN WAS CONTINUED ALMOST 360 DEGREES WHILE IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED AN AREA OF LARGE BRUSH AND SMALL TREES APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY.

A STUDENT PILOT ON A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WITNESSED THE EVENT. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON A TAXIWAY THAT WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE DEPARTURE END RUNWAY THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS USING FOR TAKEOFF. THE FIRST TIME THE STUDENT PILOT SAW THE AIRPLANE IT WAS IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE THEN DESCENDED SLIGHTLY. THE STUDENT PILOT THEN OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE PITCH UP ABOUT 45 DEGREES. THEN THE LEFT WING DROPPED AND THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A LEFT TURN. THE STUDENT PILOT LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE AS IT CONTINUED THE LEFT TURN AND PASSED OUT OF SIGHT OVER THE LEFT WING.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA13CA354Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportOrange, MAThe pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during the initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of total flight experience in the accident airplane make and model.Aug 6, 2013 · Substantial damage