Aviation Specialties Unlimited Challenger II accident near Coushatta, Louisiana, April 4, 2006
On April 4, 2006 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Aviation Specialties Unlimited Challenger II, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N260HP, was destroyed in an accident near Coushatta, Louisiana. 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 loss of control due to premature failure of the elevator's push-pull tube rod-end bearing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 2006 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Coushatta, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviation Specialties Unlimited Challenger II, amateur-built
- Registration
- N260HP · registry record · serial 0001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot departed the airfield for a local aerobatic flight. While performing aerobatic maneuvers, the airplane experienced a failure of the elevator control system. The 18,971-hour pilot was able to recover and maneuver the airplane to a safe altitude over an uninhabited area. Once over the safe area, the pilot elected to exit the airplane and deploy his emergency parachute. The airplane was destroyed upon impact with the ground. The elevator's push-pull tube assembly was located in the wreckage with a broken rod-end bearing. The elevator push-pull tube is fitted with two rod-end bearings, one in each end of the tube. The first rod-end bearing was unbroken, but slightly bent to one side. The unbroken rod-end bearing had the markings of FAFNIR on the side of the bearing retainer, and 2P on the side of the shank, at the base of the outer race or banjo. The second (failed) rod-end bearing's outer race was fractured in two places, leaving just the threaded shank and approximately the bottom one-third of the outer race. The top section of the failed bearing and associated parts were not located and therefore, no identification marks could be associated with the outer race. Nor were there any identification markings on the hollow shank. During load testing of similar rod-end bearings, three bearings failed at 870 pounds or less. These bearings had the markings of FEDERAL RE3ML6-2N MADE IN THE USA, on the side of the bearing retainer. Also, rod-end bearings identified as "FEDERAL" all had no additional identification marks on a hollow shaft. Rod-end bearings identified as FAFNIR all had solid shafts, and the markings of "2P" on the shank near the base of the banjo head. FAFNIR bearings used in the test all failed above 3,200 pounds. The ultimate (minimum) load requirement for the rod-end bearings is 1,500 pounds.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,971 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,040 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 1, 2006
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0R7 Coushatta LA
- Destination: Coushatta LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 3:40 pm from KIER, 20 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.
Other NTSB records under N260HP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.