Davis CHALLENGER I CW accident near Paso Robles, California, July 2, 1996
On July 2, 1996 at about 3:55 pm local time, a Davis CHALLENGER I CW, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N75489, was destroyed in an accident near Paso Robles, California (Paso Robles airport). 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 owner/builder/pilot's impairment of judgment and performance due to drugs which led to his improper handling of the airplane and failure to maintain an adequate airspeed margin above stall speed, resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin. A factor which contributed to the accident was the owner/builder/pilot's use of an inadequate adhesive material in the construction of the airplane which resulted in a portion of the wing root surface skin to debond, separate, and impact a propeller blade, which also separated.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 1996 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Paso Robles, California · Paso Robles · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Davis CHALLENGER I CW CHALLENGER, amateur-built
- Registration
- N75489 · no longer on the register · serial 119CW0594
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident occurred during the pilot's maiden flight of the homebuilt following completion of construction the preceding week. According to a witness, the pilot took off and climbed 100 feet above the runway surface. During the climb, an airframe component separated from the wing and contacted the wood pusher propeller. A blade separated and all engine power was lost. The airplane then porpoised several times, turned 90 degrees from its runway heading, and collided with the ground in a 45-degree nose-down pitch attitude. A bent plastic (Lexan) strip was found about 300 feet downwind of the main wreckage and in close proximity to the separated propeller blade. The strip had been attached to the center section of the wing, forward of the engine, with Velcro self-adhesive tape. The adhesive remained attached to the wing, but it failed to adhere to the Lexan. In November, 1994, the FAA denied the pilot's last application for an aviation medical certificate because of his cardiovascular condition. Toxicology tests on the pilot revealed the presence of tranquilizers chlordiazepoxide (Librium) and diazepam (Valium), and the antidepressant amitriptyline (Elavil). Use of these drugs could adversely influence the pilot's mental processes, reaction time, and ability to control the airplane.
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: 185 hours in all; 4 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 28, 1996; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 540 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PRB at 3:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 6,009 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°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.