Plante CHALLENGER II N4469Z

Summary

On 21 January 2021 at about 14:45 local time, a Plante CHALLENGER II registered N4469Z was involved in an accident near Minneola, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 January 2021 at 14:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Minneola, Florida, United States

Coordinates

28.6261, -81.8001

Aircraft

Plante CHALLENGER II

Registration

N4469Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mascotte → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA109

1 person was seriously injured.

Failure of the engine/propeller drive belt.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane stated that he was on final approach when the airplane “abruptly” turned right 45°, and the flight controls no longer felt normal. The pilot said it was a challenge to maneuver the airplane and, as he attempted to avoid trees, the airplane stalled and impacted the ground. A postaccident examination of the airplane and its two-stroke engine revealed that the belt that connected the engine output sprocket to the propeller drive sprocket had broken. The belt had not been manufactured for use in aircraft. Examination of the edges of the belt revealed that it appeared rubbed with exposed core strands in several areas consistent with lateral travel or tracking and that the belt ultimately broke due to tensile overload failure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.