# Incident 20250828011369I: Patterson John F CHALLENGER II, Honesdale, PA, August 28, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 28, 2025, 18:00 local time
- Place: Honesdale, PA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.5757° N, 75.2508° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Honesdale, PA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5757&lon=-75.2508&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2489H, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2489H) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Patterson John F CHALLENGER II (registry code 056231W, https://openairdocs.org/model/patterson-john-f-challenger-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax 503ULDCDI (registry code 55568, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-503uldcdi) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PATTERSON JOHN F CHALLENGER II
- Reported engine: ROTAX 503ULDCDI
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Sport pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 392 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250828011369I

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 18 ON CHERRY RIDGE AIRPORT (N30) AFTER 10-15 MINUTE TAXI, WARMUP, AND RUNUP PERIOD. DURING CLIMBOUT THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED. PILOT EXECUTED SUCCESSFUL FORCED LANDING IN COW PASTURE RESULTING IN MINOR DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT WHEN RIGHT WHEEL STRUCK A ROCK.

AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE WERE EXAMINED, NO DEFECTS OR CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PRECLUDE NORMAL OPERATION WERE NOTED. THE ENGINE STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY THE NEXT DAY.

AIRCRAFT AERODYNAMIC AND ENGINE CONTROLS WERE CONTINUOUS AND CORRECT, FUEL SYSTEM CONTAINED ADEQUATE UNCONTAMINATED FUEL AND NO LEAKS. THE IGNITION SYSTEM, INCLUDING SPARK PLUGS, WAS UNREMARKABLE. INDUCTION AND EXHAUST SYSTEMS WERE UNOBSTRUCTED. FIELD COMPRESSION TEAT OF BOTH CYLINDERS APPEARED NORMAL.

THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE HAD THE REQUISITE ANNUAL CONDITION INSPECTION APPROXIMATELY 40 DAYS AND 0.0 HOURS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT SINCE THE INSPECTION, AND THE FIRST FLIGHT FOR THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WHO WAS EXPERIENCED IN THIS MAKE/MODEL AIRCRAFT.

THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER SUPPLIES THE FOLLOWING WARNING, AND OTHER WARNINGS ABOUT USING THIS ENGINE IN FLIGHT IN THE ROTAX OPERATOR’S MANUAL PART NUMBER 899120 STATES (SECTION 4.2) WARNING: THIS ENGINE, BY IT’S DESIGN, IS SUBJECT TO SUDDEN STOPPAGE.

THE CAUSE OF THIS POWER LOSS COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.

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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