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GAA17CA136

2017-02-11 · Punta Gorda, Florida, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PGD

Current FAA registration · N289MN

Make / Model
QUAD CITY ULTRALIGHT ACFT CORP CHALLENGER II
Year of manufacture
2015 · 2 years old at event
Engine
ROTAX 503 DCDI (52 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20220204
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A2F08A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that, during the landing flare, while on his second landing attempt, the airplane began to sink rapidly and the right wing dropped. He applied right rudder and power in an attempted to maintain directional control, but was unsuccessful. The airplane settled in the bushes to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, during the landing flare, while on his second landing attempt, the airplane began to sink rapidly, and the right wing dropped. He applied right rudder and power in an attempt to maintain directional control but was unsuccessful. The airplane settled in the bushes to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. 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-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2017_GAA17CA136.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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