# NTSB CEN22LA127: Quad City Challenger II, N438RN, Mountain Home, TX, February 19, 2022

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: February 19, 2022, 11:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place: Mountain Home, TX · Private property.
- Coordinates: 30.249371, -99.465471 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.2494&lon=-99.4655&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA San Antonio FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 104673
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN22LA127
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104673/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104673
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA127

## Probable cause

The non-certificated pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control at too low of an altitude to recover.

## Findings

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

- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Quad City CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05901KR), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Attention/monitoring: task monitoring/vigilance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Quad City CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520/cases.md?model=05901KR), [All aircraft, 330 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Quad City CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md?model=05901KR), [All aircraft, 1,681 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: angle of attack](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Quad City CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md?model=05901KR), [All aircraft, 990 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md)
- [Experience/qualifications: qualification/certification](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031010): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Quad City CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031010/cases.md?model=05901KR), [All aircraft, 280 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031010/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

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

- [Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241) (defining event); cases with it: [Quad City CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=05901KR), [All aircraft, 1,529 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md)
- [Initial climb: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240); cases with it: [Quad City CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05901KR), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)
- [Initial climb: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Quad City CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=05901KR), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md)
- [Initial climb: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490); cases with it: [Quad City CHALLENGER II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=05901KR), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The non-certificated pilot reported that during the initial climb after taking off, he lowered flaps and the airplane pitched up into a nose-high attitude. The pilot reduced power and attempted to land back on the runway, but the airplane exceeded its critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control at an altitude too low to allow for recovery. The airplane impacted trees and terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right aileron, the left wing strut, and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he had recently purchased and reassembled the airplane and had performed multiple takeoffs and landings before the accident takeoff. The pilot reported that the nose-high pitch after the flap application was “higher than expected.”

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N438RN](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N438RN), registered now, S/N CW 2677, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: QUAD CITY CHALLENGER II (NO SERIES)
- Registry model: [Quad City CHALLENGER II](https://openairdocs.org/model/quad-city-challenger-ii) (registry code 05901KR) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Rotax 503ULDCDI](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-503uldcdi) (registry code 55568, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: CW 2677
- Year built: 2012
- Airframe hours: 268
- Engines: Rotax Aircraft Engines 503 Series 52 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Annual, June 23, 2017
- Airport: None, Private Airstrip, runway 15/33, 1,200 × 50 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment: Airframe parachute, Handheld GPS

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 68; injuries: none; seat: front; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 54 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter: 30.44 inHg
- Observed at: KJCT, 22 nm away
- METAR: KJCT 191651Z AUTO 35003KT 10SM CLR 12/M04 A3044 RMK AO2 SLP296 T01221044

## 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 20220219002199A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220219002199A), Feb 19, 2022: Quad City CHALLENGER II, Mountain Home, TX, Substantial damage. Non-certificated pilot stated he took off and immediately set the aircraft back down. Then took off again and added flaps after rotation. The addition of flaps…

## Docket (3 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 21, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104673. 109 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 106 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13384658&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20Form%206120_1%20Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Accident photographs (item 2, PDF, 4 pages, 3.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13385718&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Accident%20Photographs-Rel.pdf
- Federal aviation administration - email (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 160 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13384668&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Email%20Redacted-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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