Arlie L Raber Iii CHALLENGER 1 N59BR
4 May 2025 · Crestview, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 4 May 2025 at about 19:20 local time, a Arlie L Raber Iii CHALLENGER 1 registered N59BR was involved in an accident near Crestview, Florida, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Crestview, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Yellow River Airstrip (FD93)
- Coordinates
- 30.7603, -86.5703
- Aircraft
- Arlie L Raber Iii CHALLENGER 1
- Registration
- N59BR
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2021
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA25LA197
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to take off despite having problems controlling the airplane due to his physical stature.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was having difficulty controlling the airplane’s rudder pedals due to his physical stature. After several taxi attempts up and down the runway, he elected to take off for a short flight. After becoming airborne, the pilot began to have yaw controllability problems. He attempted to land, but was unable to control the airplane’s movements effectively, as his knees were contacting the instrument panel, and his feet were wedged behind the rudder pedals. The airplane continued to fly over terrain about 6 feet above ground level. With trees approaching, the pilot pushed the nose of the airplane down resulting in a hard landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward portion of the fuselage and the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2025 | Beechcraft A36 | Naples, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Nov 2025 | Huebbe Tom MAX TH | Inverness Highlands South, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Nov 2025 | CubCrafters CARBON CUB FX2 | Okeechobee, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jul 2025 | Piper PA34 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | ATA Flight School | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 2025 | Cessna 150 | St. Augustine, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 2025 | Cessna T337G | Pembroke Pines, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |