Amateur-built CHALLENGER II accident near Moultonborough, New Hampshire, September 1, 2023
On September 1, 2023 at about 1:10 pm local time, a 1996 amateur-built CHALLENGER II, registered N2480Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Moultonborough, New Hampshire (Moultonborough 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to a loss of compression in one of the engine’s two cylinders.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2023 · about 1:10 pm local time
- Place
- Moultonborough, New Hampshire · Moultonborough · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CHALLENGER II, built 1996
- Registration
- N2480Y · registry record · serial CH20394-4139
- 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 a few minutes after takeoff, during the initial climb, the airplane’s two-stroke engine began to slowly lose power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. He elected to make a forced landing in small field, resulting in substantial damage to both of the airplane’s wing struts. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that one of the engine’s two cylinders had no compression. It is likely that this lack of compression resulted in the loss of engine power reported by the pilot during the accident flight. Additionally, during the examination, a zip tie was found secured around the fuel line that provided fuel for that cylinder in a way that reduced its interior diameter. It is possible that the reduced diameter of the fuel line could have resulted in less fuel reaching the cylinder during high power operation, and that it was operating in an excessively lean condition. Operation in this state could have damaged the cylinder and resulted in the lack of compression observed during the engine examination. It could not be determined when the zip-tie was installed on the fuel line, though entries in the airplane’s maintenance logs indicated that its last condition inspection was completed about three months before 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
What happened, in order
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of engine power (total) during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Maintenance personnel
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 410 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 DCI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 am from LCI, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KLCI 011256Z AUTO 22005KT 10SM CLR 14/11 A3029 RMK AO2 SLP255 T01440106
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA23LA360.