- Date
- September 1, 2002, 09:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Plymouth, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N521CFClarence F. Callahan Challenger II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 23, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020901026509A
- Case key
- 55665
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 the proper alignment which resulted in the airplane impacting trees on the south side of the approach end of the landing runway.
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 stated that he was on final approach to land, and it appeared as if he was going to undershoot the runway, so he attempted to correct by applying throttle control input to increase engine power, but he applied a little too much power causing the airplane to dive to the right and collide with trees on the south side of the approach end of the landing runway.
Factual narrative
On September 1, 2002, about 0945 eastern daylight time, a Clarence F. Callahan Challenger II, N521CF, registered to and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, impacted trees and crashed while attempting to land at Orlando Country Airport, Plymouth, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot received minor injuries, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated the same day, about 0935.
The pilot stated that he was on final approach to land, and it appeared as if he was going to undershoot the runway, so he attempted to correct the situation by applying throttle control input to increase engine power, but he applied a little too much power, which caused the airplane to dive to the right and collide with trees on the south end of the runway. The airplane incurred damage to the landing gear, the wings, and the fuselage. The pilot said that this accident was purely his error, and that there had been no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N521CF
- Reported as
- Clarence F. Callahan Challenger II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CH2-0490-0521
- Airframe hours
- 40
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 52 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James N. Duke
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 23, 2002 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- X04 · Plymouth, FL
- Airport
- X04 · Orlando Country, runway 33, 3,040 × 100 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
- 63
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 242 total · 2 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- ORL, 18 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.