- Date
- January 6, 2026, 15:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Greenbrier, AR
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N194JRQuad City Challenger
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA- FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260106000699A
- Case key
- 202273
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 non-certificated pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during the landing.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The non-certificated pilot reported that while landing, the airplane encountered a downdraft and was pushed toward the runway surface. He attempted to correct by applying full power; however, the airplane touched down and exited the right side of the runway. During the runway excursion, the airplane skidded and turned 180° which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and the right forward lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N194JR
- Reported as
- Quad City Challenger (II)
- Category
- Ultralight, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CH2-1105-2696
- Airframe hours
- 436.7
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 30, 2025
- Airport
- 12A · Arkavalley, runway 18, 3,133 × 40 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
- 61
- Injuries
- Minor
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Turbulence
- Moderate
- Observed at
- KORK, 21 nm away
- METAR
- KORK 062155Z AUTO 20005KT 10SM CLR 22/13 A2982 RMK AO2=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 14, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.