Quad City Ultralight CORP CHALLENGER II accident near Ransom Township, Pennsylvania, August 17, 2011
On August 17, 2011 at about 10:05 pm local time, a Quad City Ultralight CORP CHALLENGER II, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N6613Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Ransom Township, Pennsylvania. 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 non-certificated pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering, which resulted in a collision with trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of overall flight experience and lack of experience in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 2011 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- Ransom Township, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quad City Ultralight CORP CHALLENGER II, amateur-built
- Registration
- N6613Z · no longer on the register · serial CH206900535
- 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/owner of the airplane was conducting his first flight in the airplane since he purchased it almost 2 years earlier. Witnesses observed the airplane flying erratically as it maneuvered around several fields that surrounded the accident site. They reported hearing varying sounds associated with low and high engine rpm. The airplane subsequently impacted in an area of 50- to 70-foot-tall trees located on a hill about 1 mile north-northeast of the pilot's residence. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation. Five days before the accident, the pilot received 1 hour of dual flight instruction in a Cessna 172. The flight instructor reported that the pilot told him that he had not flown in over 20 years and wanted to “brush-up” on his flying skills. The instructor noted that the pilot flew poorly and, at the conclusion of the flight, specifically informed him that he was not ready to fly solo and that he should obtain additional training.
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 maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › (general) › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Flight time: 1 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 47 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503DC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Ransom Township PA
- Destination: NONE Ransom Township PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 180°F (82°C), dew point 129°F (54°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from AVP, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.