Quad City Aircraft Corp Challenger II accident near Waldron, Missouri, December 26, 2020
On December 26, 2020 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Quad City Aircraft Corp Challenger II, registered N895BT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Waldron, Missouri (Noah'S Ark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare during the rejected takeoff that resulted in a hard landing and nose landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 2020 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Waldron, Missouri · Noah'S Ark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quad City Aircraft Corp Challenger II
- Registration
- N895BT · no longer on the register · serial CH2-0217-2912
- 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 during a high-speed taxi test, the airplane became unexpectedly airborne. He lowered the nose to get back on the ground and the nose landing gear struck the ground and came through the floor of the airplane. The airplane bounced back into the air, came back down to the left, and struck the ground again. The fuselage and the left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot sustained a broken leg.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax Unk (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15/3, 3,000 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Sky: scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 12:00 pm from MCI, 5 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 July 7, 2021. 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 Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Photo of Wreckage | 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.