- Date
- March 11, 1993, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3207CMistretta Challenger II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 10, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930311004929A
- Case key
- 18711
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 maintain control of the airplane. A factor was his possible encounter with turbulence.
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
The pilot of the amateur built airplane stated that as he turned from downwind to base, he was unable to roll out of the left turn. He further stated that the rudder did not seem to respond. The airplane continued in the left bank until it impacted the ground. There were mountains in the vicinity of the airport and towering cumulus was reported in the western, northern, and eastern quadrants over the mountains. No evidence of pre impact flight control malfunction or failure was found during the investigation.
Factual narrative
On Thursday, March 11, 1993, at approximately 1030 mountain standard time, a Mistretta built Challenger II amateur built airplane was substantially damaged when it collided with the ground at the Coronado airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The airplane, owned and operated by the private pilot, was on a 14 CFR Part 91 local personal flight. There was no flight plan filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured.
The pilot stated that as he turned from downwind to base for landing on runway 21, he was unable to roll out of the left turn. He further stated that the rudder would not respond. The airplane continued in the left bank until it impacted the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3207C
- Reported as
- Mistretta Challenger II (CHALLENGER)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CH205L0691
- Engine
- Rotax 505, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mistretta, Charles J.
- Registered owner
- Mistretta, Charles J.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 4AC
- Destination
- 4AC
- Airport
- 4AC · Coronado, runway 21, 3,500 × 50 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
- 77
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 209 total · 18 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 80 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ABQ, 10 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.