- Date
- April 8, 1991, 17:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- Thomaston, GA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N283ELLewis Challenger II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910408009339A
- Case key
- 8391
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to properly maintain the airplane in accordance with prescribed procedures which resulted in fuel contamination, fouled spark plugs, and a loss of engine power. The pilot also failed to follow normal emergency procedures for the loss of engine power after liftoff and stalled the airplane.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
N283EL was the third airplane of a flight of three. The other airplanes climbed out without incident, but as N283EL started its climb, reportedly the engine lost power. Witnesses reported that the pilot appeared to have started a left turn and crashed 180 degrees from the takeoff heading on the parallel taxiway. During the wreckage examination water was found in the carburetor bowl and the spark plugs were fouled. The pilot had previously reported a rough running engine, but later reported that the problem had been corrected. According to the operational limitation for the airplane, a conditional inspection is required annually. There was no record of a completed conditional inspection since the airplane was certificated in 1988. Sufficient runway was available for a forced landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N283EL
- Reported as
- Lewis Challenger II (CHALLENGER)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0283
- Airframe hours
- 186
- Engine
- Rotax 503 DC, 52 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lewis, Eugene G.
- Registered owner
- Lewis, Eugene G.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Destination
- LAL · Lakeland, FL
- Airport
- RGD · Reginald Grant Memorial, runway 21, 3,000 × ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,650 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCN, 35 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.