Amateur-built CHALLENGER II accident near Punta Gorda, Florida, February 11, 2017
On February 11, 2017 at about 10:40 pm local time, a 2015 amateur-built CHALLENGER II, registered N289MN, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Punta Gorda, Florida (Punta Gorda airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 2017 · about 10:40 pm local time
- Place
- Punta Gorda, Florida · Punta Gorda · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CHALLENGER II, built 2015
- Registration
- N289MN · registry record · serial 2089
- 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, during the landing flare, while on his second landing attempt, the airplane began to sink rapidly, and the right wing dropped. He applied right rudder and power in an attempt to maintain directional control but was unsuccessful. The airplane settled in the bushes to the left of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,687 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 13,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 7, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 22.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 6, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 960 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 DCDI (piston); 22 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PGD Punta Gorda FL at 9:00 pm
- Destination: PGD Punta Gorda FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 7,193 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 2 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Observation at 12:00 pm from VILK, 40 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 GAA17CA136.