# NTSB CEN21LA257: Quad City Challenger, N3281P, Wallingford, IA, June 2, 2021

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report
- Date: June 1, 2021, 19:00 local (Jun 2, 2021, 00:00 UTC)
- Place: Wallingford, IA
- Coordinates: 43.319727, -94.800286 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.3197&lon=-94.8003&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Takeoff: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Central Region
- NTSB case key (mKey): 103236
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21LA257
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103236/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103236
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA257

## Probable cause

Impact with trees and terrain during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Power plant](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057100): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 198 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057100/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Takeoff: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The noncertificated pilot was attempting to depart from a residential driveway when the nonregistered, experimental, amateur-built airplane impacted trees. The pilot did not make the airplane available for examination, and whether any mechanical malfunctions contributed to the accident could not be determined.

## Factual narrative

On June 1, 2021, about 1900 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Quad City Challenger II airplane, N3821P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Wallingford, Iowa. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Responding Federal Aviation Administration inspectors reported that the pilot attempted to depart a residential driveway when it collided with a tree, descended, and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot did not hold a pilot certificate. He had recently replaced the engine and propeller and was not a certificated mechanic. The pilot had logged a few hours with the engine and propeller combination before the accident flight. Following the initial contact with the FAA, the pilot refused to cooperate more with the investigation and a follow-up engine examination could not be conducted.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N3281P (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: QUAD CITY CHALLENGER (II)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: CH2-0295B1280
- Year built: 1995
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: None
- Destination: Same as departure

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 50; injuries: minor; flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observed at: KEST, 5 nm away
- METAR: METAR KEST 012352Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 24/04 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP166 T02440039 10256 20228 56016

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20210601013119A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210601013119A), Jun 1, 2021: Braddock Kenneth J CHALLENGER II, Wallingford, IA, Substantial damage. After take-off aircraft was unable to climb and failed to clear trees in it's flight path causing it to impact the ground coming to rest after striking a…

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103236. 2.1 MB in all.

- Photo (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 1 photo, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12684415&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=photo%20cen21la257-Rel.pdf
- Case findings (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 176 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12685116&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=case%20findings%20cen21la257-Rel.pdf
- Weather (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 44 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12684485&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=wx%20cen21la257-Rel.pdf
- Estimated flight path (from FAA) (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 622 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12684495&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Flight%20path%20graphic-Rel.pdf

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.

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