- Date
- June 18, 2016, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Marion, WI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7058UMarks Steven Challenger
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- FAA report
- 20160618009569A
- Case key
- 93417
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 failure of the airplane engine drive belt during the takeoff, resulting in a forced landing and impact with terrain.
Findings · 1
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
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Safety Inspector, the pilot of the Experimental Amateur Built airplane departed from a private airstrip. During the takeoff initial climb, the airplane lost engine power and force landed in a field. The FAA Inspector reported that the airplane was equipped with an older cog engine drive belt that failed during takeoff. The airplane impacted the ground and sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The National Transportation Safety Board Air Safety Investigator-in charge attempted on multiple occasions to contact the pilot and the pilot's son, to whom the airplane was registered. The FAA Inspector was unable to contact the pilot, but he was able to speak with the pilot's son who was informed by the inspector to call the NTSB Investigator-in-charge; to no avail.
Factual narrative
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Safety Inspector, the pilot of the Experimental Amateur Built airplane departed from a private airstrip. During the takeoff initial climb, the airplane lost engine power and force landed in a field. The FAA Inspector reported that the airplane was equipped with an older cog engine drive belt that failed during takeoff. The airplane impacted the ground and sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The National Transportation Safety Board Air Safety Investigator-in charge attempted on multiple occasions to contact the pilot and the pilot's son, to whom the airplane was registered. The FAA Inspector was unable to contact the pilot, but he was able to speak with the pilot's son who was informed by the inspector to call the NTSB Investigator-in-charge; to no avail.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7058U
- Reported as
- Marks Steven Challenger (II)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CH2-1000-2021
- Built
- 2002
- Airframe hours
- 543
- Engine
- Rotax 582DCDI, 64 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 1, 2015
- Departed
- Marion, WI
- Destination
- Marion, WI
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 86
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 2,342 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- KCLI, 8 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 3, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 112 KB 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.