Quad City CHALLENGER I accident near Winsted, Minnesota, November 12, 2013
On November 12, 2013 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Quad City CHALLENGER I, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Winsted, Minnesota (Winsted Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering for a precautionary landing after the light sport airplane started vibrating, which led to an inadvertent aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 2013 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Winsted, Minnesota · Winsted Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quad City CHALLENGER I, amateur-built
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial 0761
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, as he reduced engine power during the initial climb after takeoff, he felt the light sport airplane vibrate. He further reduced engine power, but this action did not eliminate the vibration. He initially planned to attempt to land the airplane on the runway; however, it was not positioned properly. He subsequently attempted to land in an adjacent field. During the landing attempt, the airplane began to lose airspeed, and it then stalled and impacted the field. A postaccident examination of the engine and flight control system did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The source of the reported vibration could not be determined.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during initial climb
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 305 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 340 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 305 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 1, 2013; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503UL (piston); 305 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 10D Winsted MN at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 10D Winsted MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,248 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.71 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from GYL, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 31, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Conoversation Record -- FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Aircraft Information -- Quad City Ultralights | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.