Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB CEN15LA195
QUAD CITY CHALLENGER - II — Chippewa Falls, WI
| Date | April 11, 2015 |
| Location | Chippewa Falls, WI |
| Aircraft | QUAD CITY CHALLENGER - II (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 77 |
| Pilot total time | 416 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 402 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-Cardiovascular-Pilot - C
What happened
While the airplane was on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern at the pilot's home airport, witnesses observed it enter into a steep dive that continued to ground contact in an open field. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The recreational pilot's medical history included coronary artery disease treated with multivessel bypass surgery. The autopsy documented severe coronary artery disease and damage to the heart muscle; including myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), which placed the pilot at severe risk of a cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm) and incapacitation. Based on the autopsy findings and the pilot's medical history, he most likely became incapacitated due to a cardiovascular event secondary to his severe heart disease and recent myocarditis.