Pilot Debrief

SNYDER ROBERT L CHALLENGER II near Hendersonville, NC — 2024-04-07

Final reportERA24LA169
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Date
2024-04-07
Location
Hendersonville, NC, USA
Airport
0A7
Aircraft
SNYDER ROBERT L CHALLENGER II
Registration
N381RS
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot departed with a tailwind from a 3,075 ft-long grass runway, climbed to about 150 ft above ground level (agl) at a speed of 41 miles per hour (mph) (the airplane’s stall speed was 37 mph), and initiated a left turn. The pilot said that during the turn, the engine rpm dropped, and he was concerned about colliding with powerlines and a motor park. Instead, he chose a 3 ft round table located on the back patio of a private residence as a target to “buff” the impact. The pilot said he lowered the nose and rolled the airplane left and “slipped” the airplane between the tall trees located in the backyard of the residence and impacted the table/patio, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. Once the airplane was recovered from the patio, the pilot test ran the two-stroke engine on the airframe under the supervision of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector. The engine started and ran at a high and low power setting. No mechanical deficiencies or malfunctions were noted during the engine test run that would have precluded normal operation at the time of the accident.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents5

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