Amateur-built CHALLENGER II accident near Attica, Indiana, May 10, 2014
On May 10, 2014 at about 5:42 pm local time, a amateur-built CHALLENGER II, registered N824SH, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Attica, Indiana. 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 failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which led to an aerodynamic stall and loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the installation of an inappropriate airspeed indicator that did not provide airspeed indications near the airplane’s stall speed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 2014 · about 5:42 pm local time
- Place
- Attica, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CHALLENGER II II
- Registration
- N824SH · no longer on the register · serial CH21290CW0600
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a personal flight in the amateur-built light sport airplane. The airplane was maneuvering at low altitude before it descended and then impacted the ground. Examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions. The forward fuselage and right wing were crushed, consistent with a nose-low, right-wing-low impact. The airplane's attitude at impact was consistent with a steep descending right turn that would occur after a stall. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at a low altitude and exceeded the airplane's critical angle-of-attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. The airspeed indicator was marked for airspeeds from 40 to 340 mph, but the airplane's stall speed was 32 mph, and its maximum speed was 105 mph. The large discrepancy between the airplane's performance capability and the airspeed indicator markings made the airspeed indicator inappropriate for installation in the accident airplane and would not have provided the pilot airspeed information as he neared the stall speed. The lack of appropriate airspeed information due to the inappropriate airspeed indicator likely contributed to the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and prevent the 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 maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Indicating/recording systems › Indep instrument (clock, etc) › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 235 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hirth (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Covington IN
- Destination: PVT Covington IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from LAF, 15 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.
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.