Davis CHALLENGER I CW accident near Paso Robles, CA
On July 2, 1996, a Davis CHALLENGER I CW (airplane) was involved in an accident near Paso Robles, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 2, 1996
- Place
- Paso Robles, CA
- Aircraft
- Davis CHALLENGER I CW · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.609°N, 120.761°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X06274
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 2, 1996, at 0855 hours Pacific daylight time, a Davis Challenger I CW, N75489, owned and operated by the pilot, crashed during its maiden flight at the Paso Robles Municipal Airport, Paso Robles, California. The experimental amateur built airplane was destroyed, and the private pilot was fatally injured during the personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. A witness reported observing the airplane's takeoff and crash. The witness stated that the takeoff roll appeared normal, but seconds after the airplane lifted off the runway, around 100 feet above ground level, a light colored small component separated from the upper surface of a wing and contacted the pusher wood propeller. One blade separated, the engine stopped operating, and the airplane porpoised up and down several times. Then, the airplane turned 90 degrees from its runway heading, pitched nose down, and impacted the ground while in a 45-degree nose down attitude. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) coordinator performed an on-scene examination of the crash site. According to the FAA, a bent plastic (Lexan) strip was located about 300 feet downwind of the main wreckage and in close proximity to the separated propeller blade. An examination of the wreckage revealed that the strip had been attached to the upper surface of the wing's center section with Velcro self-adhesive tape. The adhesive material had failed to secure the strip to the wing. The Lexan strip was rectangular in shape
Probable cause
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 result
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
