What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
May 10, 2014 at approximately 13:30 local time, an experimental amateur built Challenger II aircraft, with serial number CH21290CW0600, was destroyed upon impact with terrain located at 458 east covered bridge road, Attica, Indiana. The united states registered ?n? Number is N824SH.
The aircraft was observed circling this property clockwise, owned by an acquaintance at an altitude estimated by a witness at 500 feet. It was then observed descending to approximately 300 feet flying circles counterclockwise just above the trees.
Inspectors keen and thompson estimated the trees are approximately 20 to 50 feet tall.
This witness then stated that he heard the engine sputter followed by a rapid descent to the ground. The 72 year old pilot and sole occupant onboard was fatally injured.
The aircraft is registered to the pilot who was operating the aircraft under the provisions of title 14 of the code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91. The pilot held a united states private pilot certificate number privacy data omitted, and was issued a medical certificate on November 23, 1992. This aircraft is a ?light sport aircraft? That can be operated with a private pilot certificate and a valid driver?s license as per 14 CFR part 61. (61.23)
Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for this flight. Weather reported at klaf (lafayette, Indiana) at 12:54 local time: wind 270 degrees @ 8 mph, 70 degrees, altimeter 29.96, visibility 10 miles.
It was noted that the witness thought it was ?kind of windy? Above the trees but in the valley the winds were calm.
The debris field was contained in area approximately 30 by 30 feet with the entire fuselage concertinaed forward due to the impact. The damage to the right wing and the right side of the fuselage indicates that the aircraft was rotating to the right and impacted the terrain first. This would be consistent with a possible stall spin scenario that was described by the witness.
A review of the aircraft logbooks could not verify that an annual condition inspection had ever been complied with. It is noted that the evaluation and teardown of the new (03/15/2014) ?hirth 2 cylinder, 2 cycle 50 HP engine? Appears to show that it was being operated at a high RPM setting at the time of impact.
A contributing factor is noted that on April 12, 2014, the airman contacted a maintenance facility stating that he was having issues with his airspeed indicator and that he had been operating without reliable readings on previous flights. There were no logbook entries showing that this had been repaired.
As the FAA filed it
MAY 10, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 13:30 LOCAL TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT CHALLENGER II AIRCRAFT, WITH SERIAL NUMBER CH21290CW0600, WAS DESTROYED UPON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN LOCATED AT 458 EAST COVERED BRIDGE ROAD, ATTICA, INDIANA. THE UNITED STATES REGISTERED ?N? NUMBER IS N824SH.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED CIRCLING THIS PROPERTY CLOCKWISE, OWNED BY AN ACQUAINTANCE AT AN ALTITUDE ESTIMATED BY A WITNESS AT 500 FEET. IT WAS THEN OBSERVED DESCENDING TO APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET FLYING CIRCLES COUNTERCLOCKWISE JUST ABOVE THE TREES.
INSPECTORS KEEN AND THOMPSON ESTIMATED THE TREES ARE APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 50 FEET TALL.
THIS WITNESS THEN STATED THAT HE HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTER FOLLOWED BY A RAPID DESCENT TO THE GROUND. THE 72 YEAR OLD PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT ONBOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED.
THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO THE PILOT WHO WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91. THE PILOT HELD A UNITED STATES PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AND WAS ISSUED A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE ON NOVEMBER 23, 1992. THIS AIRCRAFT IS A ?LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT? THAT CAN BE OPERATED WITH A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE AND A VALID DRIVER?S LICENSE AS PER 14 CFR PART 61. (61.23)
DAY VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THIS FLIGHT. WEATHER REPORTED AT KLAF (LAFAYETTE, INDIANA) AT 12:54 LOCAL TIME: WIND 270 DEGREES @ 8 MPH, 70 DEGREES, ALTIMETER 29.96, VISIBILITY 10 MILES.
IT WAS NOTED THAT THE WITNESS THOUGHT IT WAS ?KIND OF WINDY? ABOVE THE TREES BUT IN THE VALLEY THE WINDS WERE CALM.
THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS CONTAINED IN AREA APPROXIMATELY 30 BY 30 FEET WITH THE ENTIRE FUSELAGE CONCERTINAED FORWARD DUE TO THE IMPACT. THE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ROTATING TO THE RIGHT AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN FIRST. THIS WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH A POSSIBLE STALL SPIN SCENARIO THAT WAS DESCRIBED BY THE WITNESS.
A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS COULD NOT VERIFY THAT AN ANNUAL CONDITION INSPECTION HAD EVER BEEN COMPLIED WITH. IT IS NOTED THAT THE EVALUATION AND TEARDOWN OF THE NEW (03/15/2014) ?HIRTH 2 CYLINDER, 2 CYCLE 50 HP ENGINE? APPEARS TO SHOW THAT IT WAS BEING OPERATED AT A HIGH RPM SETTING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.
A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS NOTED THAT ON APRIL 12, 2014, THE AIRMAN CONTACTED A MAINTENANCE FACILITY STATING THAT HE WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH HIS AIRSPEED INDICATOR AND THAT HE HAD BEEN OPERATING WITHOUT RELIABLE READINGS ON PREVIOUS FLIGHTS. THERE WERE NO LOGBOOK ENTRIES SHOWING THAT THIS HAD BEEN REPAIRED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.