Amateur-built CHALLENGER accident near Raymond, Mississippi, May 22, 2019
On May 22, 2019, a amateur-built CHALLENGER, registered N638DC, was destroyed in an accident during approach near Raymond, Mississippi (Private 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
A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2019
- Place
- Raymond, Mississippi · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CHALLENGER
- Registration
- N638DC · registry record · serial CH20294
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a local personal flight in the experimental, airplane. He reported that the engine operated "flawlessly" during the flight; however, on final approach for landing, the engine completely lost power. The pilot trimmed the airplane for its best glide speed and attempted to land, but the airplane impacted the top of a tree and power lines adjacent to the runway and was subsequently destroyed by a postcrash fire. Fire damage precluded examination of the airplane's fuel system. The internal components of the engine valves and drive train were connected. Several of the internal engine components were not aircraft-engine-specific parts; however, whether these components contributed to the loss of engine power could not be determined. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.
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 engine power (total) during approach defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 392 hours in all; 240 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 390 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 243 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 2, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 960 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 243 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Raymond MS
- Destination: Raymond MS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from JVW, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 21, 2020. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Rotech | 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.
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.