Quad City Ultralight, LLC Challenger Special accident near Orland, California, January 20, 2007
On January 20, 2007 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Quad City Ultralight, LLC Challenger Special, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Orland, California (Haigh Field). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots improper in-flight decision to continue the flight rather than refuel resulting in fuel exhustion and the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 2007 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Orland, California · Haigh Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quad City Ultralight, LLC Challenger Special, amateur-built
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial NONE
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine lost power and the airplane impacted trees during the ensuing forced landing in an orchard 2 miles from the destination airport. The pilot had initiated the flight with 9.5 gallons of fuel on board. En route the pilot encountered adverse headwinds, and he subsequently reported that he could have diverted to alternate airports, but his "mind was set to continue" toward his destination. The pilot said that after flying about 2 3/4 hours, the fuel supply was exhausted. The unregistered airplane's fuel tank had a capacity of at least 9.5 gallons, which exceeded the 5-gallon maximum capacity requirement set forth in 14 CFR Part 103.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 816 hours in all; 816 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 550 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1O3 Lodi CA at 6:30 pm
- Destination: O37 Orland CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,500 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°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.
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.