Amateur-built CHALLENGER accident near Apple River, Illinois, November 27, 2007
On November 27, 2007 at about 10:36 pm local time, a amateur-built CHALLENGER, registered N2159M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Apple River, Illinois. 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 which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing to the accident was the low altitude and the gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 2007 · about 10:36 pm local time
- Place
- Apple River, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CHALLENGER
- Registration
- N2159M · no longer on the register · serial CH20289R0392
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings in the amateur-built airplane when the accident occurred. The airplane was seen north of the airport heading in a southeasterly direction prior to the accident. The airplane was approximately 80 feet above the ground and had cleared a group of trees just prior to the nose dropping. The airplane descended into an open field. A witness reported that there were occasional wind gusts in the area around the time of the accident.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 172 hours in all
- Last flight review: March 1, 1996
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Apple River IL at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.32 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from DBQ, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.