Challenger II accident near San Antonio, Texas, November 8, 1998
On November 8, 1998 at about 6:58 pm local time, a Challenger II (ultralight), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident near San Antonio, Texas (Horizon Airport). It was a personal flight under ultralight rules (Part 103). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent stall. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in type of vehicle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 1998 · about 6:58 pm local time
- Place
- San Antonio, Texas · Horizon Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Challenger II, amateur-built
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · ultralight rules (Part 103)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the ultralight vehicle inadvertently stalled the ultralight vehicle on his first flight while turning from crosswind to downwind. The 70 year old passenger/co-owner of the vehicle had been experiencing cardiovascular problems, and as recently as 2 days prior to the accident, fainted and passed out while working on the vehicle with the other owner. He refused to go to the hospital with the responding paramedics for a checkup; however, he agreed to 'ground himself' until his next visit with a cardiologist scheduled for the day after the accident. A long time friend and pilot was asked to fly the ultralight. The co-owner elected to accompany the private pilot as a 'backseat pilot' in the tandem vehicle. Several runups and high speed taxi checks were conducted by the private pilot, who had not previously flown the vehicle, to 'get the feel of the machine.' Witnesses observed the nose of the ultralight gradually pitch down during the turn to the downwind leg. The vehicle impacted the ground in a nearly vertical nose down attitude, in a slight right turn, coming to rest in the inverted position.
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: 3,408 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 447 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 74R at 6:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 2,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 UNREG 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.