Amateur-built Challenger II accident near Draper, Utah, July 19, 2019
On July 19, 2019 at about 3:00 am local time, a 2018 amateur-built Challenger II, registered N77YD, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Draper, Utah. 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 total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2019 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Draper, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Challenger II, built 2018
- Registration
- N77YD · no longer on the register · serial CH2-0904-2531
- 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 during cruise flight, about 800 to 1,000 ft above ground level, he advanced the throttle and the engine immediately lost power. The pilot’s attempt to restart the engine was unsuccessful and he initiated a forced landing to a nearby tree-lined residential road. During the landing sequence, the airplane struck trees and came to rest upright against a fire hydrant. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of any preexisting mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. The engine was successfully run on the airframe at various power settings with no anomalies noted. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on available evidence.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,042 hours in all; 250 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 1,007 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 18, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 364 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 17, 2018
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVU Provo UT at 2:30 am
- Destination: PVU Provo UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 am from KU42, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on May 5, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Engine Run Information | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.