- Date
- July 3, 2008, 08:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Williamsfield, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N23764Challenger II
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20080703840639A
- Case key
- 68449
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 loss of engine power for undertermined reasons and the unsuitable landing area encountered during the forced landing. Contributing to the accident were the trees and the residence.
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 student pilot reported that he completed the preflight and pre-takeoff checklist and the airplane was operating normally. He set the power at 6,200 rpm's for takeoff from the private grass airstrip. When the airplane had reached about 200 feet above ground level, the engine rpm's dropped to 4,000 rpm's. He executed a forced landing to a neighbor's yard. During the landing roll, both wingtips hit trees and the airplane slid sideways and the left wingtip hit a house window. The airplane wreckage was taken to a hangar for inspection. The engine was started and it idled normally. The throttle was advanced to 5,000 rpm and it ran smoothly. No deficiencies were found that would have precluded normal engine operation. Aircraft records indicated that the last annual maintenance inspection was conducted on April 3, 2007. The student pilot, who had a total of 266 flight hours, did not have an endorsement for the make and model aircraft in the last 90 days. His Student Pilot Certificate, which is valid for two years, had expired on February 29, 2008.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that he completed the preflight and pre-takeoff checklist and the airplane was operating normally. He set the power at 6,200 rpm's for takeoff from the private grass airstrip. When the airplane had reached about 200 feet above ground level, the engine rpm's dropped to 4,000 rpm's. He executed a forced landing to a neighbor's yard. During the landing roll, both wingtips hit trees and the airplane slid sideways and the left wingtip hit a house window. The airplane wreckage was taken to a hangar for inspection. The engine was started and it idled normally. The throttle was advanced to 5,000 rpm and it ran smoothly. No deficiencies were found that would have precluded normal engine operation. Aircraft records indicated that the last annual maintenance inspection was conducted on April 3, 2007. The student pilot, who had a total of 266 flight hours, did not have an endorsement for the make and model aircraft in the last 90 days. His Student Pilot Certificate, which is valid for two years, had expired on February 29, 2008.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23764
- Reported as
- Challenger II
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CH2 0597 181
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 53 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joe H. Murdock
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- Williamsfield, IL
- Airport
- N/A · Private Grass Strip, runway 09, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Certificate
- Student
- Flight hours
- 266 total · 266 in this make and model · 240 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.