Amateur-built Challenger II accident near Emmett, Idaho, June 23, 2006
On June 23, 2006 at about 1:00 am local time, a amateur-built Challenger II, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Emmett, Idaho (Emmett Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, which resulted in an off-airport landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane and the soft terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2006 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Emmett, Idaho · Emmett Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Challenger II
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial CH2 0199-1831
- 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 he had about 500 hours flight time in ultralights including time in a Challenger I, but he had not previously flown a Challenger II. Before the flight, he reviewed the Challenger II owner's manual and found that it recommended use of full flapperons for takeoff. Therefore, he set full flapperons. After takeoff, as the airplane over flew the end of the runway, it "stopped" climbing. The pilot attempted to raise the flaperrons, but could not reach the crank handle, which was located above and behind his head. He was "able to keep nose level at full throttle" and executed an off-airport landing in a hay field. During the ground roll in the soft terrain, the nose landing gear collapsed.
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: 500 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S78 Emmett ID
- Destination: S78
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.