Pilot Debrief

REINBOLDT RICHARD A CHALLENGER II near Reedsburg, WI — 2011-08-04

Final reportCEN11LA546
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Date
2011-08-04
Location
Reedsburg, WI, USA
Airport
C35
Aircraft
REINBOLDT RICHARD A CHALLENGER II
Registration
N340BR
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
2
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

The pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB narrative

The pilot and passenger departed the airport’s south runway for a local flight. Several witnesses reported that the airplane reached an altitude of about 300 feet, the left wing dropped, and the airplane descended and impacted the ground in a near vertical attitude. The airplane’s ballistic parachute system was partially deployed, but the airplane was too low at deployment for the parachute to fully deploy. An examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation. A handheld global positioning system (GPS) unit was located in the wreckage and downloaded. A plot from the GPS indicated that the airplane departed from runway 18 and tracked westward in a large circle before it returned to the airport. The track then showed that the airplane descended as it approached the airport from the southwest and was aligned with the runway at an altitude that corresponded with the runway’s altitude. The airplane then climbed to an altitude of 1,027 mean sea level (msl) (about 122 feet above ground level [agl]) and started a left turn. The final GPS point showed the airplane at an altitude of 1,035 msl (about 130 feet agl) and at an airspeed of 47 mph. Based on the events, it is likely that the pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed and the airplane entered a power-on stall during takeoff.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the flight after the left wing dropped.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 9 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents9

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