Amateur-built CHALLENGER SPEC II accident near Mansfield, Pennsylvania, April 29, 1997
On April 29, 1997 at about 10:05 pm local time, a amateur-built CHALLENGER SPEC II, registered N9213A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mansfield, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
inadequate visual lookout by the pilot, which led to an in-flight collision with an electrical wire. Related factors were: low altitude flight by the pilot, and the proximity of the transmission line.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 1997 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- Mansfield, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CHALLENGER SPEC II CHALLENGER
- Registration
- N9213A · no longer on the register · serial CH2-0395-CW-
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
This was a local personal flight. According to the pilot, he was coming in to land at an air strip in a field. The pilot stated he decided to fly low to check the condition of the field. According to him, as he was approaching the field, his left wing struck an electrical wire. The aircraft then struck the ground 50 to 100 yards before the threshold.
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: 350 hours in all; 65 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 65 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 29, 1997; 4 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Bombardier ROTAX 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.