Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Sedalia Memorial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sedalia, Missouri 65301
Monday, July 2, 2001 18:59 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The two seat experimental amateur-built airplane was destroyed when it impacted trees located near the southwest perimeter fence about 900 feet west of the approach end of runway 5. The aircraft wreckage pattern was oriented to the southwest. A witness reported that the airplane "ran like new" when it departed. Witnesses near the airport reported seeing the airplane flying low, heading north, and then making a wide right turn to the southwest before impacting the trees. One witness said the engine sputtered twice before impacting the trees. Another witness said he heard the engine quit and saw the propeller stop. He reported the engine started again and the airplane turned back toward the airport before crashing into the trees. The pilot had a total of 100 flight hours. A witness reported the pilot had purchased the airplane within the last year and had flown it about 2 hours, but not at all within the last 3 or 4 months. The airplane did not have a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) registered "N" number painted on the airplane. No data plate or serial number was found on the airplane. According to FAA records, an Airworthiness Certificate was never issued for the accident airplane. A witness reported he had flown the airplane and that it had a severe yaw problem and he was afraid to fly in it again. He reported the pilot fabricated and installed "stab fins" on the tip of each horizontal stabilizer, and a large trim tab on the rudder. The witness also stated the pilot removed the doors to the airplane because he had been told it would help eliminate the yaw problem. The witness reported the accident flight was the first flight the pilot had taken with the doors removed. An examination of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing. Additional factors were the pilot's lack of experience in the type of airplane, the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the trees.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/2/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1859 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Sedalia |
| Event State | MISSOURI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 65301 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | Sedalia Memorial Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | DMO |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.25 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 240 |
| Airport Elevation | 909 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1853 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DMO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 909 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.1 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2475 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11863 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 2 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2206 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 18 2002 10:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-Kansas City FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N902GH |
| NTSB Number | CHI01LA194 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Houston |
| Aircraft Model | Challenger II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | CH20990W0560 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Ralph A. Thomas |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. Box 842 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Sedalia |
| Aircraft Owner State | MO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 65301 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | PVT |
| Departure City | Sedalia |
| Departure State | MO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1854 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | DMO |
| Destination City | Sedalia |
| Destination State | MO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Unknown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 24 2002 3:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |