# Accident 20130806017009A: Stetson Norman B CHALLENGER II, Orange, MA, August 6, 2013

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 6, 2013, 13:00 local time
- Place: Orange, MA
- Airport: Orange Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.5686° N, 72.2864° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5686&lon=-72.2864&mi=10
- Aircraft: N94454, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N94454-2017-10-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Stetson Norman B CHALLENGER II (registry code 05901UO, https://openairdocs.org/model/stetson-norman-b-challenger-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax 503 series (registry code 55564, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-503-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: STETSON NORMAN B CHALLENGER II
- Reported engine: ROTAX 503
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 100 total, 7 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA13CA354](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13CA354) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130806017009A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA13CA354](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13CA354), Aug 6, 2013: Stetson Norman B Challenger II (N94454), Orange, MA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The 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…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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