# Accident 19980314003339A: Amtr CHRISEAGLE2, Lake Berryessa, CA, March 14, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 14, 1998, 13:43 local time
- Place: Lake Berryessa, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.2491° N, 122.3097° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.2491&lon=-122.3097&mi=10
- Aircraft: N331GH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N331GH-1998-09-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Gough-Herrman CHRISTEN EAGLE-II (registry code 05658CB, https://openairdocs.org/model/gough-herrman-christen-eagle-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR CHRISEAGLE2
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 20,200 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98FA112](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98FA112) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980314003339A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4) WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT FLYING OVER THE LAKE ABOUT 1,000 FEET OR LESS. THEY REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED INVERTED, FLEW FOR ABOUT 5 OR 6 SECONDS, PITCHED DOWNWARD, ROTATED 90 DEGREES, AND IMPACTED THE WATER IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. ACCORDING TO THE DESIGNER/KIT MANUFACTURER, AND BASED ON THE ESTIMATED WEIGHT AND BALANCE INFORMATION, THE AIRCRAFT WAS FORWARD OF THE AEROBATIC WEIGHT ENVELOPE. (-23) AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO LAKE BERRYESSA CA.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX98FA112](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98FA112), Mar 14, 1998: Gough-Herrman Christen Eagle II (N331GH), Lake Berryessa, CA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: was the pilot-in-command's failure to maintain control of the aircraft. Contributing to the accident was the improper altitude.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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