What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While conducting pattern work and touch-and-go's the pilot of the experimental amateur built Challenger II airplane performed a forced landed after engine loss of power. The aircraft came to rest off- airport approximately 2 miles west of P04 Bisbee municipal airport.
The pilot stated that he performed a normal engine run-up to check for full power availability and proceeded to conduct a few traffic patterns with touch-and-go's and two with go around maneuvers and other air work west of the airport.
The pilot stated that while at approximately 800' AGL the engine suddenly shut off. The nose suddenly pitched up and the aircraft entered a stall condition. The pilot stated he immediately pushed the nose down rolled the airplane "wings level" and attempted an engine restart with no success. The result was a hard landing, in a left slip attitude, in an open field.
A witness, the aircraft owner, stated he did happen to see when the engine quit and the nose of the aircraft pitch up, the recovery, then the aircraft started down, until his view was blocked by the trees at which time the aircraft was approximately 3 miles from the airport.
The aircraft sustained damage to the undercarriage and was substantially damaged at the left wing spar just outboard of the main support strut. The pilot stated that he had just refueled prior to the flight and estimated 7 gallons of the 10 gallon capacity remained in the fuel tank. The owner stated he received release from NTSB the day of the accident to recover the aircraft to the ?dealer? To analyze the aircraft damage. The owner stated he did not attempt to test run the engine at that time.
Aircraft records indicated that the required ?condition inspection? Had been accomplished on June 6, 2016 and therefore met the airworthiness requirements as prescribed by the special airworthiness certificate operating limitations.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE CONDUCTING PATTERN WORK AND TOUCH-AND-GO'S THE PILOT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT CHALLENGER II AIRPLANE PERFORMED A FORCED LANDED AFTER ENGINE LOSS OF POWER. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST OFF- AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES WEST OF P04 BISBEE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE PERFORMED A NORMAL ENGINE RUN-UP TO CHECK FOR FULL POWER AVAILABILITY AND PROCEEDED TO CONDUCT A FEW TRAFFIC PATTERNS WITH TOUCH-AND-GO'S AND TWO WITH GO AROUND MANEUVERS AND OTHER AIR WORK WEST OF THE AIRPORT.
THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE AT APPROXIMATELY 800' AGL THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE NOSE SUDDENLY PITCHED UP AND THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A STALL CONDITION. THE PILOT STATED HE IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN ROLLED THE AIRPLANE "WINGS LEVEL" AND ATTEMPTED AN ENGINE RESTART WITH NO SUCCESS. THE RESULT WAS A HARD LANDING, IN A LEFT SLIP ATTITUDE, IN AN OPEN FIELD.
A WITNESS, THE AIRCRAFT OWNER, STATED HE DID HAPPEN TO SEE WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT PITCH UP, THE RECOVERY, THEN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED DOWN, UNTIL HIS VIEW WAS BLOCKED BY THE TREES AT WHICH TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT.
THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AT THE LEFT WING SPAR JUST OUTBOARD OF THE MAIN SUPPORT STRUT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD JUST REFUELED PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT AND ESTIMATED 7 GALLONS OF THE 10 GALLON CAPACITY REMAINED IN THE FUEL TANK. THE OWNER STATED HE RECEIVED RELEASE FROM NTSB THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT TO RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT TO THE ?DEALER? TO ANALYZE THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE. THE OWNER STATED HE DID NOT ATTEMPT TO TEST RUN THE ENGINE AT THAT TIME.
AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE REQUIRED ?CONDITION INSPECTION? HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED ON JUNE 6, 2016 AND THEREFORE MET THE AIRWORTHINESS REQUIREMENTS AS PRESCRIBED BY THE SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE OPERATING LIMITATIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.