Pilot Debrief

Quad City Ultralight Challenger II near Rogers City, MI — 2021-09-11

Final reportCEN21LA420
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Date
2021-09-11
Location
Rogers City, MI, USA
Airport
PZQ
Aircraft
Quad City Ultralight Challenger II
Registration
N778H
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The separation of the right wing’s forward lift strut from the fuselage due to a missing nylon-insert lock nut. Contributing to the accident was the noncertificated pilot’s decision to operate the airplane even though a condition inspection had not been completed in the 13 years since the airplane received its experimental airworthiness certificate.

NTSB narrative

The noncertificated pilot was departing on a local flight. The pilot reported that about 100 ft into the takeoff roll the airplane began to swerve right, but before he could abort the takeoff, he heard a bang and the airplane pitched up and rolled. A witness reported that the airplane abruptly pitched up, rolled right, and impacted the ground in a left-wing-down attitude. The witness stated that the airplane completed about 270° of right roll when the left wing impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, fuselage, tailboom, and left horizontal stabilizer. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing’s forward lift strut separated from the fuselage longeron. The channel bracket remained attached to the lift strut, but the attachment bolt pulled out of the fuselage longeron. The nylon-insert lock nut that normally secured the attachment bolt to the fuselage longeron was not located during the investigation. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit controls to each flight control surface. The pilot did not maintain maintenance records for the airplane, nor had the airplane undergone a condition inspection since the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the experimental airworthiness certificate in December, 2007.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff when the airplane began to swerve.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 12 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents12

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