Newmann Edward W CHALLENGER II N61328

Summary

On 8 October 2010 at about 18:30 local time, a Newmann Edward W CHALLENGER II registered N61328 was involved in an accident near Easton, Kansas, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 October 2010 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Easton, Kansas, United States

Coordinates

39.3444, -95.1164

Aircraft

Newmann Edward W CHALLENGER II

Registration

N61328

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Leavenworth → Leavenworth

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN11LA012

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane for undetermined reasons.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and student-rated passenger departed the pilot’s property and remained airborne for about 10 minutes. The pilot expressed a concern about the wind and decided that they needed to return to the airfield. During the turn back to the airfield, the passenger felt like they were losing altitude and may have encountered a downdraft. The pilot told him to “hang on” and activated the airplane’s ballistic parachute. The passenger further stated that he was sure the engine was running, but he could not recall the impact sequence and he estimated the airplane was about 350 feet above ground level, when they started the turn. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preimpact anomalies and fuel was present at the accident site. The right section of the stabilizer was located about 75 feet from the main wreckage. The stabilizer section did not have any impact marks on its tube framing and the fabric appeared in good condition. The two bolts that normally hold the section on were broken. Both bolts were sent to the Safety Board Material's Laboratory for examination. The Materials Laboratory noted that both bolts had signatures consistent with a bending overload event. The separation of the stabilizer section from the airframe prior to the loss of control could not be substantiated.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.