Probable cause
A cracked cooling fan housing, which led to a malfunction of the ignition system and a loss of engine power during the landing approach.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings. The airplane's engine lost power while on the base leg of the traffic pattern, and the pilot decided to land on a dirt road. He landed uneventfully, but a wing collided with a road sign during the landing roll. The airplane spun off the road into desert terrain and sustained substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed a cracked cooling fan housing that likely resulted in misalignment of the magnets in the ignition system, which led to an ignition failure and loss of engine power. The fan housing was not a manufacturer-supplied part.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR13LA134 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Feb 26, 2013
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Peoria, Arizona
- Nearest airport
- Pleasant Valley (P48)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Amateur-built CHALLENGER II SPEC
- N-number
- N107BW
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1991
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.