Bombardier (Canadair) · Business jet
Bombardier Challenger 600-650
Is the Bombardier Challenger 600-650 safe? It ranks Shared rankWithin 1 point of other aircraft types: the difference is not meaningful.More in the glossary of 18 private and business aircraft families we rate, with 7 fatal accidents counted in about 2.2 million flights since 2008.
Likely range 49 to 67
How the score is built
- Fatal accidents
- 7 in 2.2 million flights
3.1 fatal accidents per million flights. Counted: all civil flights (private, charter, corporate, cargo, training and other), accidents and unexplained losses; not counted: military, test and illegal flights, sabotage, hijackings, shoot-downs and deliberate crew acts.
- Full-loss equivalents
- 5.7
Each counted accident adds the share of people on board who died (1 = no survivors). This is what the score is based on.
- Flights flown
- 2.2 million
Estimated flights of all kinds. Flights of all kinds (private, charter, corporate, cargo, training and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026: OpenSky 2022 flights of the type under any call sign (US military aircraft left out), re-weighted to World Bank departures country by country, carried to other years by the type's flights counted each year by FAA traffic flow management (TFMSC). Flights before 2008 are not used, like the accidents. About 138 flights per aircraft per year (fleet with a median service life of about 44 years). Uncertainty roughly ±30%.
- Technology generation
- Classic business jet (type first flew before 1990)
Small fleets are pulled toward the record of the other types of their generation: 2.3 full-loss equivalents per million flights over 11.6 million flights. Weight of this family's own record: 86%.
- Likely range
- 49 to 67
The score is 90% likely to lie in this range, given how few accidents a type has and the error in the estimate of its flights.
- Last fatal accident
- 25 January 2026
KTKJ Challenger LLC, opb Arnold & Itkin LLP, Bangor International Airport (BGR/KBGR), Bangor, ME, United States of America: 6 of 6 people on board died.
- Hull losses
- 28
Civil aircraft destroyed or written off from all causes, including non-fatal accidents, cargo flights and attacks; airframes flown by air forces on military operations are left out. ASN gives no fate for some damaged aircraft, so this can be a little low (context only, not in the score).
Compared with everyday risks
One flight on the Bombardier Challenger 600-650 carries about the same risk of death as the activities near it below.
- An hour's walk1 in 14 million
- Driving 100 miles (160 km)1 in 5.9 million
- An ordinary day: accidents and violence1 in 1 million
- A day of skiing1 in 830,000
- A scuba dive1 in 500,000
- Cycling 100 miles (160 km)1 in 430,000
- One flight on the Bombardier Challenger 600-650This aircraft1 in 400,000
- Running a marathon1 in 290,000
- A skydive1 in 250,000
- A general anaesthetic1 in 100,000
- Riding a motorbike 100 miles (160 km)1 in 83,000
Accident history
7 fatal accidents since 2008 count toward the score, with 41 people on board killed.
| Date | Flight | Killed | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| KTKJ Challenger LLC, opb Arnold & Itkin LLPCL-600-2B16 Challenger 650 · Bangor International Airport (BGR/KBGR), Bangor, ME, United States of America | 6 killed / 6 on board | Taking off from Bangor at night in light snow at -16°C after de-icing and anti-icing, the Challenger 650's stick shakers fired just after lift-off; it rolled right to 77° and crashed beside the runway, inverted and burning. All six died. No cause has been published yet.Type: Loss of control in flightASN record | |
| Ace Aviation Services dba Hop-A-JetCL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 · near Naples Airport (APF/KAPF), Naples, FL, United States of America | 2 killed / 5 on board | On approach to Naples, the chartered Challenger 604 lost oil pressure and then power on both engines; the crew landed on Interstate 75 and hit a sound barrier, and fire broke out. Both pilots died; the attendant led both passengers out via the tail. No cause has been published.Type: Engine failureASN record | |
| privateCL-600S Challenger 600 · near Venado, Mexico | 2 killed / 2 on board | The Challenger 600, sold to a Mexican owner months earlier, crashed near Venado on a flight from Celaya to Saltillo after last contact at FL260 north of San Luis Potosí. Both pilots died. No cause is given in the record.Type: Unknown causeASN record | |
| Aeolus Air CharterCL-600-2B16 Challenger 605 · Truckee Airport, CA (TKF), United States of America | 6 killed / 6 on board | On a visual approach to Truckee, the first officer tried to save an unstable approach with a steep left turn, spoilers still out; the Challenger 605 stalled and hit woods, killing all six. The captain did not step in, and both ignored the stall protection warnings.Type: Loss of control in flightASN record | |
| Compañia de Aviación y Logística EmpresarialCL-600-2B16 Challenger 601-3A · 257 km NW of Monclova, Mexico | 13 killed / 13 on board | Flying boxing fans home from Las Vegas to Monterrey, the chartered Challenger 601 climbed into the core of a severe storm; it was thrown out of control, both engines shut down and it spun into the desert, killing all 13. The weather radar had not shown the crew what they needed.Type: Windshear or stormASN record | |
| MC AviationCL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 · 130 km SW of Shahr-e Kurd, Iran | 11 killed / 11 on board | Climbing over Iran toward Istanbul, the Challenger 604 showed split airspeed readings, possibly from a blocked pitot tube. The crew cut thrust; amid overspeed and stall warnings the jet lost control and hit a mountain, killing all 11. Investigators cited how the crew handled it.Type: Loss of control in flightASN record | |
| Vineland CorporationCL-600-2B16 Challenger 601-3R · Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, CO (ASE), United States of America | 1 killed / 3 on board | On a second approach to Aspen with a tailwind above the jet's limit, the Challenger 601 became unstable, bounced and hit the runway at about 6 g; the co-pilot died. Both pilots had very little time on the type. The NTSB cited loss of control and no go-around.Type: Hard landing or abnormal runway contactASN record |
Listed but not counted
These events happened before 2008 (the score covers 2008 onward, the period its flight count covers), on military, test or illegal flights, or were caused by a crime or a deliberate act, which says little about the aircraft design.
| Date | Flight | Killed | Why not counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinama AircorpCL-600-2A12 Challenger 601 · off Boca Druif, Aruba | 3 killed / 3 on board | Unlawful interference (sabotage, hijacking or shoot-down). The Challenger 601, flying from an airstrip in Apure state, Venezuela, failed to answer Venezuelan Air Force fighters, was shot and came down in the sea off Aruba. Three bodies and about 400 packets of drugs, mostly cocaine, were found.Type: SecurityASN record | |
| Jet Connection Business Flight LCX826CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 · Almaty Airport (ALA), Kazakhstan | 1 killed / 4 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. On a night takeoff from Almaty in moderate snow, the Challenger 604 stalled just after lift-off, hit the ground and the airport fence and caught fire; one person died. Investigators found snow on the wing leading edges after de-icing, as wing anti-ice was off.Type: IcingASN record | |
| Global Aviation, lsf Hop-A-Jet IncCL-600-2A12 Challenger 601 · Montrose County Airport, CO (MTJ), United States of America | 3 killed / 6 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. After about 50 minutes parked at Montrose in light snow, the Challenger 601 yawed right after rotation, hit the ground beside the runway and slid through fences; three of six died. The NTSB found the crew had not made sure the wings were free of ice or snow.Type: IcingASN record | |
| Epps Air ServiceCL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 · Birmingham International Airport (BHX), United Kingdom | 5 killed / 5 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. Seconds after lifting off from Birmingham, the Challenger 604 rolled sharply left, a wing hit the ground and it crashed inverted and burned. Frost left on the wings lowered the stall angle below where stall protection worked; a drug, jet lag and fatigue may have played a part.Type: IcingASN record | |
| Bombardier AerospaceCL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 · Wichita-Mid-Continent Airport, KS (ICT), United States of America | 2 killed / 3 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. On a certification test flight at Wichita with the centre of gravity far aft, the pilot over-rotated on takeoff; fuel moving rearward pushed it past the limit and the Challenger 604 stalled and crashed. Weak test planning and oversight contributed.Type: Loss of control in flightASN record | |
| A.E. Stanley Manufacturing Co.CL-600-1A11 Challenger 600 · 4 km N of Hailey-Sun Valley Airport, ID (SUN), United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. Trying a visual arrival into Sun Valley's narrow mountain valley, the Challenger hit a ridge hidden by broken cloud. The NTSB found the crew did not follow the recommended arrival procedure or avoid terrain in time; weather and snow-covered terrain contributed.Type: Flight into terrainASN record | |
| CanadairCL-600-1A11 Challenger 600 · Mojave, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 3 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. On a test flight from Mojave, an extra stall flown after the planned test took the angle of attack past its limit and the Challenger spun. The spin chute would not release, so the crew bailed out; the pilot's parachute did not open. NTSB factors included the AoA indicator.Type: Loss of control in flightASN record |
The Challenger 600 series has a weaker record than the newer Challenger 300. Seven fatal events count toward its rate, in about 2.2 million modelled flights since 2008, the period the score covers. The larger Global has no counted fatal event, but on too few flights to rank it yet. The record is not about one fault. Where official findings exist, they point to winter take-offs with contaminated wings, severe weather and crew handling.
What is the Challenger 600 series?
The Canadair CL-600 first flew in 1978 and entered service in 1980. Its cabin was much wider than that of other business jets of its day, with two rear-mounted engines and a T-tail. Bombardier then built the 601 with new engines and winglets, the 604, the 605 and the 650, and the Canadian military uses a version as the CC-144. About 1,270 have been built and about 950 still fly. Typical seating is 10. It needs two pilots.
You find it in charter fleets, corporate fleets, government service and private ownership. We cannot say from our data which use is most common.
Is it linked to the CRJ?
Yes. Canadair stretched the Challenger 601 airframe to make the CRJ100 and CRJ200 regional jets, which first flew in 1991. The CRJ keeps the Challenger's rear engines, T-tail and general layout. The Bombardier CRJ page lists de-icing among the causes of its own crashes, so the lesson about wings in winter is a shared one. The two are scored apart, because an airline flies the CRJ with airline crews and procedures.
What is the Challenger 600 record?
In the family's whole history up to 3 November 2026 our data list 14 fatal events. 7 count. Four happened before 2008 and do not count, because the score covers accidents and flights from 2008 on: Sun Valley (1983), Birmingham (2002), Montrose (2004) and Almaty (2007). We also leave out two test flights (Mojave, 1980, and Wichita, 2000) and a flight carrying drugs that was shot down off Aruba in 2015.
By purpose, 2 counted events were charter flights with passengers (Monclova and Naples) and 5 were other flights, mostly private or corporate. None was cargo or a ferry flight. See how we count.
With about 2.2 million flights since 2008 and seven counted accidents, confidence is low. The family's own record carries most of the weight in the score, and it ranks just behind the Citation V and shares its place with the Hawker 800; the scores are close and the likely ranges overlap, so those differences are small and uncertain.
Since 2008, the older models, the 600 and 601, account for 3 counted events: Aspen (2014), Monclova (2019) and Venado, Mexico (2022). The 604, 605 and 650 account for 4: Iran (2018), Truckee (2021), Naples (2024) and Bangor (2026). Both groups have flown for decades and we have no flight counts for each model, so we cannot rank one above the other.
Notable events:
- 4 January 2002, Epps Air Service, Birmingham, UK (before 2008, not counted): a 604 rolled and crashed after take-off, and all five on board died. Investigators found frost on the wings.
- 5 May 2019, Compañia de Aviación y Logística Empresarial, near Monclova, Mexico: a charter 601 flew into the core of a severe storm, lost control and crashed. All 13 died.
- 26 July 2021, Aeolus Air Charter, Truckee, California: a 605 stalled on a steep turn at low height. All six died.
- 9 February 2024, Hop-A-Jet, Naples, Florida: a charter 604 lost power in both engines on approach and landed on a highway. Both pilots died, and the cabin crew led the passengers out. No cause has been published.
- 25 January 2026, KTKJ Challenger LLC, Bangor, Maine: a 650 crashed on take-off in snow. All six died. No cause has been published.
Four events were winter take-offs in snow or frost: Birmingham, Montrose and Almaty, all before 2008 and not counted, and Bangor in 2026. Official findings for the first three cited ice or snow on the wings.
How to check a charter operator
- Ask for the air operator certificate and the country that issued it.
- Ask whether the operator has an independent safety audit, such as ARGUS, Wyvern or IS-BAO, and what its rating is.
- In winter, ask how the operator de-ices and checks the wings before take-off.
- Ask for the pilots' hours on the Challenger itself and the date of their last simulator check.
The ICAO code for every Challenger 600 series model is CL60. The Challenger 300 is CL30.
Questions people ask
Is the Bombardier Challenger 604 safe?
The 604 has a mixed record. Up to 3 November 2026 it was in four of the family's fatal events: Birmingham in 2002, Almaty in 2007, Iran in 2018 and Naples in 2024. The first two are before 2008 and do not count toward the score. Both were winter take-offs with frost or snow on the wing, and official findings cited the wing contamination. Check the operator and its de-icing practice.
Is the Challenger 600 the same as the CRJ?
No, but they are related. Bombardier built the CRJ100 and CRJ200 regional jets from the Challenger 601 design, with a longer fuselage and more seats. They are scored as separate families, and the CRJ flies with airline crews and airline rules.
What went wrong in the Challenger crash at Bangor in 2026?
No cause has been published. The Challenger 650 took off at night in light snow after de-icing, its stick shakers fired just after lift-off, and it rolled to the right and crashed. All six on board died. We will update this page when investigators publish a report.
Are older Challenger 600 and 601 jets less safe than newer ones?
The counts are close: since 2008, 3 counted events for the 600 and 601 and 4 for the 604, 605 and 650. We have no flight count per model, so we cannot say one is safer. Age matters less than the operator's maintenance, training and winter procedures.
Does a Challenger 600 series jet need two pilots?
Yes. The series is certified for two pilots, and a charter should always use two qualified, type-rated crew members.
Sources
- 1.ASN record: Compañia de Aviación y Logística Empresarial Challenger 601, near Monclova, Mexico, 5 May 2019 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 2.ASN record: Aeolus Air Charter Challenger 605, Truckee, California, 26 July 2021 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 3.ASN record: Epps Air Service Challenger 604, Birmingham, UK, 4 January 2002 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 4.ASN record: KTKJ Challenger LLC Challenger 650, Bangor, Maine, 25 January 2026 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 5.ASN record: Hop-A-Jet Challenger 604, near Naples, Florida, 9 February 2024 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 6.SafetyScorer exposure model: OpenSky Network flights 2022 (all operators), World Bank departures, FAA TFMSC (opens in a new tab)Flights of all kinds (private, charter, corporate, cargo, training and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026: OpenSky 2022 flights of the type under any call sign (US military aircraft left out), re-weighted to World Bank departures country by country, carried to other years by the type's flights counted each year by FAA traffic flow management (TFMSC). Flights before 2008 are not used, like the accidents. About 138 flights per aircraft per year (fleet with a median service life of about 44 years). Uncertainty roughly ±30%.