Amateur-built CHALLENGER II accident near Boulder City, Nevada, February 18, 1993
On February 18, 1993 at about 6:05 pm local time, a amateur-built CHALLENGER II, registered N4391V, was destroyed in an accident near Boulder City, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF AIRPLANE CONTROL DUE TO PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT AS A RESULT OF EITHER DRUGS OR OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR REASONS, OR BOTH.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 1993 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Boulder City, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CHALLENGER II CHALLENGER
- Registration
- N4391V · no longer on the register · serial 20192CW0785
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT HAD CALLED ANOTHER PILOT ON THE RADIO AND SAID THAT HE WAS 5 MI SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT AND RETURNING TO LAND. WHEN THE PILOT DID NOT RETURN, THE OTHER PILOT TOOK OFF TO SEARCH FOR THE PILOT. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED 3 MI SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN NOSE FIRST AT A 40-45 DEG ANGLE. THE PROPELLER APPEARED NOT TO HAVE BEEN TURNING AT IMPACT. AN EXAM OF THE ENGINE FOUND NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES. TOXICOLOGICAL RESULTS WERE POSITIVE: BLOOD SCREEN - 1026 NG/ML DIAZEPAM, 1142 NG/ML NORDIAZEPAM; URINE SCREEN - METHAMPHETAMINE, AMPHETAMINE, OXAZEPAM, TEMAZEPAM, AND NORDIAZEPAM IDENTIFIED. THE LEVEL OF DIAZEPAM WOULD INDICATE THAT THE PILOT WAS TAKING THE TRANQUILIZER VALIUM AT A LEVEL OF AT LEAST TWICE THE NORMAL THERAPEUTIC CONCENTRATION. IN ADDITION, THE AUTOPSY REVEALED A SEVERE OCCLUSION OF THE LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING ARTERY, AT ITS ORIGIN. THE DEGREE OF OCCLUSION WAS SUFFICIENT TO HAVE CAUSED ARRHYTHMIA, INFARCT OR EVEN DEATH AT ANY TIME.
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
- Flight time: 310 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 56 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, August 27, 1992; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hirth 2703 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft; not recorded at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°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.