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WPR14CA058

2013-11-26 · Kalispell, Montana, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport S27

Current FAA registration · N522PE

Make / Model
QUAD CITY ULTRALIGHT ACFT CORP CHALLENGER II
Year of manufacture
2005 · 8 years old at event
Engine
ROTAX 503 DCDI (52 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20061020
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A691A6

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

A loss of engine power due to the spark plug coming out of the cylinder head.

Factual narrative

According to the sport pilot, during takeoff in his experimental light sport airplane equipped with a two cylinder engine, he noted a loss of engine power. During the forced off airport landing, the airplane struck a fence post followed by a hard landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and fuselage. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the number 2 spark plug had pulled out of the cylinder head and the threads from the cylinder head were still attached to the spark plug. According to the sport pilot, during takeoff in his experimental light sport airplane equipped with a two cylinder engine, he noted a loss of engine power. During the forced off airport landing, the airplane struck a fence post followed by a hard landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and fuselage. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the number 2 spark plug had pulled out of the cylinder head and the threads from the cylinder head were still attached to the spark plug. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Ignition system-Spark plugs/igniters-Failure - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Fence/fence post-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_WPR14CA058.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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