Amateur-built CHALLENGER II accident near Dexter, Missouri, August 15, 2012
On August 15, 2012 at about 12:30 pm local time, a amateur-built CHALLENGER II, registered N167MB, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Dexter, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The operation of an airplane by a noncertificated pilot and his failure to maintain clearance from power lines during low-level flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 2012 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dexter, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CHALLENGER II
- Registration
- N167MB · registry record · serial CH2-0403-2313
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The noncertificated pilot reported that he was flying the experimental airplane between 50 and 300 feet above ground level. The airplane’s front landing gear hit a power line wire, which resulted in the airplane impacting the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that he did not see the power lines crossing the field and that there was no mechanical malfunction of the airplane prior to the wire strike.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Neelyville MO at 11:45 am
- Destination: DXE Dexter MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.