Single-engine piston

N260HP

2010 Aviation Specialties Unlimited Challenger III

Registered 1 NTSB/FAA record
Built
2010
Serial
0001
Class
Single-engine piston
Engines
Lycoming AEIO-540 series
Status
Current as of October 2026
Registered owner
National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian I (Government)
Based
Washington, DC
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Registration record

N260HP on the FAA register

Type
2010 Aviation Specialties Unlimited Challenger III
Serial
0001
Engines
Lycoming AEIO-540 series
Registered owner
National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian I
Washington, DC
Certificate issued
2021-07-19
Airworthiness date
2010-04-27
Registration expires
2028-07-31
Airworthiness class
Experimental · amateur-built
Mode S (hex)
A27FBA
Mode S (octal)
50477672
Seats (type)
2
Weight class
up to 12,499 lb
Status
Current as of October 2026
Registry history

Timeline

  • 2028-07-31
    Registration expires (renewal due).
  • 2021-07-19
    Certificate of registration issued as N260HP to the current registrant.
  • 2010-04-27
    Airworthiness date on the current FAA record (experimental category (amateur-built)).
  • 2007-10-22
    N260HP previously assigned to a Aviation Specialities Unltd Challenger II (s/n 0001); cancelled.
  • 2006-04-04
    Accident at Coushatta, LA; damage: destroyed.
  • 1996-02-05
    N260HP previously assigned to a Aerotek PITTS S2S (s/n 1007); cancelled.
Overview

About N260HP

N260HP is a 2010 Aviation Specialties Unlimited Challenger III, serial number 0001. The FAA register lists National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian I as the registrant in Washington, District of Columbia. The current certificate of registration was issued on July 19, 2021 and expires on July 31, 2028.

The FAA aircraft reference file describes the type as a single-engine piston, one Lycoming AEIO-540 series engine and 2 seats. Its airworthiness certificate is experimental category (amateur-built), dated April 27, 2010.

N260HP has 1 accident/incident record on file (most serious damage: destroyed); details are below. 1 earlier record involves a different aircraft that carried the same N-number.

Safety record

Accident & incident history

2006-04-04 Accident · Coushatta, LA Damage: Destroyed NTSB · DFW06LA094
Reported aircraft: Aviation Specialties Unlimited Challenger II
Probable cause: The loss of control due to premature failure of the elevator's push-pull tube rod-end bearing.
1995-09-25 Accident · Clarksville, VA Damage: Destroyed Fatal injury NTSB · MIA95LA237
Reported aircraft: Aerotek PITTS - S2S — a different aircraft that carried the N260HP registration before this airframe.
Probable cause: continued flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which resulted in spatial disorientation and his inability to control the airplane. The weather condition and the lack of instruments in the airplane were related factors.

Sources: NTSB aviation accident database and CAROL case system, FAA preliminary accident & incident notices. Search accident records

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Browse: Aircraft registered in District of Columbia· Registry by state· FAA registry stats

Data: FAA Aircraft Registry (October 2026), including deregistered aircraft; NTSB and FAA accident data; fyiAero listing history. Individual owners' names are shown to signed-in users and street addresses are never shown. Type figures are published specifications, not this aircraft's.