Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB ERA11FA463
QUAD CITY ULTRALIGHT CORP CHALLENGER II — Ransom Township, PA
| Date | August 17, 2011 |
| Location | Ransom Township, PA |
| Aircraft | QUAD CITY ULTRALIGHT CORP 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 | 66 |
| Pilot total time | 1 hrs · Student / very low time |
| Time in type | 0 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-(general)-Pilot - F
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
What happened
The non-certificated pilot/owner of the airplane was conducting his first flight in the airplane since he purchased it almost 2 years earlier. Witnesses observed the airplane flying erratically as it maneuvered around several fields that surrounded the accident site. They reported hearing varying sounds associated with low and high engine rpm. The airplane subsequently impacted in an area of 50- to 70-foot-tall trees located on a hill about 1 mile north-northeast of the pilot's residence. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation. Five days before the accident, the pilot received 1 hour of dual flight instruction in a Cessna 172. The flight instructor reported that the pilot told him that he had not flown in over 20 years and wanted to “brush-up” on his flying skills. The instructor noted that the pilot flew poorly and, at the conclusion of the flight, specifically informed him that he was not ready to fly solo and that he should obtain additional training.