CEN11LA546

Factual narrative

On August 4, 2011, at 1115 central daylight time, a Challenger II, kit-built airplane, N340BR, impacted terrain near Reedsburg, Wisconsin. The two occupants received fatal injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged during the accident. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from Reedsburg Municipal Airport (C35), Reedsburg, Wisconsin, at 1025. The responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors stated that several witnesses reported that the airplane reached an altitude of about 100 to 300 feet, the left wing dropped, and the airplane spun down; impacting the ground near vertically. It was also reported that the airplane’s ballistic parachute system, was activated, but too low to the ground to fully deploy. The airplane came to rest next to a building, in an industrial area located adjacent the airport. The airplane remained in the vertical position, with the bottom of the fuselage against the side of the building. The airplane’s front cabin and fuselage area was crushed aft into the cockpit, both wings and the remaining fuselage sustained substantial damage. The inspectors also noted that fuel was present in the airplane’s fuel tank. After documentation of the accident site, the wreckage was recovered and a follow-up exam was conducted at local hangar. The three-bladed propeller remained intact; the leading edge of the blades contained small nicks. The parachute system’s cord was partially wrapped around the propeller. The airplane’s fabric had been torn by impact, but otherwise appeared in good shape. Control continuity was established to the flight controls. The engine’s electric starter would not rotate the motor; however, it appeared that the starter sustained impact damage in the accident. The engine was separated from the airframe and shipped to a facility for further examination. A handheld GPS (global position system) unit was located in the wreckage and downloaded. At the test facility, the engine was placed on a test stand. An adjustment was made to one of the carburetor’s slide mechanism to correct impact damage. Both ignition systems checked operational and the engine was rotated by the electric starter. The engine started and was able to produce power, without hesitation or problems. The examination of the engine and airframe did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical anomalies. The data obtained from the GPS unit contained a number of tracklogs dated from September 19, 2009, to August 4, 2011. Downloaded tracklog data included the following parameters for each recorded data point: index, GPS date/time, GPS altitude, distance from previous update [leg length], time since last update [leg time], average groundspeed during the interval [leg speed], average course during the interval [leg course], and latitude/longitude position at the time of the update. Tracklog data recovered for August 4, 2011 was stored in the tracklog designated Session 35. Data related to this tracklog began at 1019:34 CST with a latitude/longitude position fix corresponding to the Reedsburg’s airport (C35). A review of the airplane's track showed the airplane departing the airport on runway 18. The airplane tracked westward, in a large circle, before heading back to C35, about 45 minutes later. The airplane then descended as it approached the airport from the southwest, aligning with runway 7 at C35. The airplane’s path tracked along runway 7, at an altitude that corresponded to the runway’s altitude. The airplane then climbed to an altitude of 1,027 msl (mean sea level), and started a left turn. The final GPS position location at 11:15:00, the airplane’s (ground) speed was 47 mph, at an altitude of 1,035 msl (approximately 130 feet above ground level). The automated weather station, located 9 miles east of C35, reported at 1115, wind at from 220 degrees at 6 knots, temperature 82 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 62 degrees Fahrenheit, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 3,200 and 4,200 feet, and an altimeter pressure setting of 30.02 inches of Mercury. 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. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C