What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 4, 2011, at 0935 CDT, an amateur-built christen eagle ii, N88CE, registered to mark r. pearson, was involved in an accident ½ mile north of the Seward municipal airport (kswt), Seward, Nebraska. The aircraft departed kswt on a local instructional flight with the aircraft owner, mark r. pearson, in the rear seat and his flight instructor, jeff c. clausen, in the front seat. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. Shortly after takeoff, a witness near the accident site reported hearing the airplane's engine running rough. The witness stated that the airplane was only a couple of hundred feet in the air. The aircraft was then observed making a left bank of 90 degrees and pitching 10-15 degrees nose down. The witness observed the airplane descending in the left bank until it disappeared into a corn field just north of the kswt airport. The witness then heard a loud bang. The aircraft impacted the field at a high angle, high rate of descent, in a left bank, and nose down attitude. The aircraft came to rest on a 270 degree heading. The aircraft did not appear to move forward after it impacted the ground. Both of the pilots on board received fatal injuries. No other persons were injured in the accident. The aircraft was destroyed and the farm land at the accident site sustained some crop damage.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2011, AT 0935 CDT, AN AMATEUR-BUILT CHRISTEN EAGLE II, N88CE, REGISTERED TO MARK R. PEARSON, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ½ MILE NORTH OF THE SEWARD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KSWT), SEWARD, NEBRASKA. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KSWT ON A LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WITH THE AIRCRAFT OWNER, MARK R. PEARSON, IN THE REAR SEAT AND HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, JEFF C. CLAUSEN, IN THE FRONT SEAT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, A WITNESS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED HEARING THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS ONLY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FEET IN THE AIR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN OBSERVED MAKING A LEFT BANK OF 90 DEGREES AND PITCHING 10-15 DEGREES NOSE DOWN. THE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING IN THE LEFT BANK UNTIL IT DISAPPEARED INTO A CORN FIELD JUST NORTH OF THE KSWT AIRPORT. THE WITNESS THEN HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE FIELD AT A HIGH ANGLE, HIGH RATE OF DESCENT, IN A LEFT BANK, AND NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A 270 DEGREE HEADING. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT APPEAR TO MOVE FORWARD AFTER IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. BOTH OF THE PILOTS ON BOARD RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. NO OTHER PERSONS WERE INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE FARM LAND AT THE ACCIDENT SITE SUSTAINED SOME CROP DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.