Quad City CHALLENGER II accident near Mountain Home, Texas, February 19, 2022
On February 19, 2022 at about 5:15 pm local time, a 2012 Quad City CHALLENGER II, registered N438RN, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Mountain Home, Texas (Private Airstrip 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 non-certificated pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control at too low of an altitude to recover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 2022 · about 5:15 pm local time · cases in 2022
- Place
- Mountain Home, Texas · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quad City CHALLENGER II NO SERIES, built 2012 · all CHALLENGER IIs on the register
- Registration
- N438RN · registry record · serial CW 2677
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-certificated pilot reported that during the initial climb after taking off, he lowered flaps and the airplane pitched up into a nose-high attitude. The pilot reduced power and attempted to land back on the runway, but the airplane exceeded its critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control at an altitude too low to allow for recovery. The airplane impacted trees and terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right aileron, the left wing strut, and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he had recently purchased and reassembled the airplane and had performed multiple takeoffs and landings before the accident takeoff. The pilot reported that the nose-high pitch after the flap application was “higher than expected.”
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 initial climb
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
- Collision during takeoff/land during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 268 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 23, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 960 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax Aircraft Engines 503 Series (piston); 268 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15/3, 1,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.44 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 am from KJCT, 22 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KJCT 191651Z AUTO 35003KT 10SM CLR 12/M04 A3044 RMK AO2 SLP296 T01221044
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – View of the right side of the airplane
Photo 2 – View of the front of the airplane
Photo 3 – View of the left side of the airplane
Photo 4 – View of the rear of the airplaneThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 21, 2022. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Federal Aviation Administration - Email | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N438RN on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Quad City CHALLENGER II 12 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Quad City 19 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rotax Aircraft Engines 503 Series 449 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,062 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,976 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN22LA127.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.