Quad City Challenger accident near Castroville, Texas, October 23, 2012
On October 23, 2012 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Quad City Challenger (ultralight), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Castroville, Texas (Private Residence airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s steep 180-degree turn to final approach for landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and spin at an altitude from which he could not recover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 2012 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Castroville, Texas · Private Residence · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quad City Challenger, amateur-built
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial None
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses saw the airplane make a low pass over a private airstrip then make a steep 180-degree left turn back to final approach for landing. During the turn, the airplane entered a steep nose down descent and made at least one-half spin to the left before impacting the ground. Such observations are consistent with an aerodynamic stall.
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
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 537 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 960 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KT20 Gonzales TX at 5:30 pm
- Destination: NONE Castroville TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from KCVB, 2 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.