ATL06CA125

According to the pilot, while at 2,000 feet in cruise flight he heard a "loud bang," and then the airplane vibrated uncontrollably. The pilot bailed out safely. According to the Topsail Beach Police Department, several witnesses on the beach stated the airplane was flying at an altitude of about 200-feet performing aerobatic maneuvers over the ocean strand. The witnesses stated that it looked like the engine separated from the front of the airplane. The engine and propeller have not been recovered. An FAA Inspector stated the pilot has not given the FAA permission to inspect the airplane wreckage.

On September 3, 2006, at 1345 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt experimental Christen Eagle II, N225FL, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, collided with water following an in-flight loss of control about 1 mile off the coast of Topsail Beach, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airline-transport rated pilot reported no injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from a private airstrip in Chinquapin, North Carolina, on September 3, 2006, at 1330.

The pilot, stated to an FAA inspector that while at 2,000 feet in cruise flight he heard a "loud bang," and then the airplane vibrated uncontrollably. He was wearing a parachute and bailed out safely.

According to the Topsail Beach Police Department, several witnesses on the beach stated the airplane was flying at an altitude of about 200-feet performing aerobatic maneuvers over the ocean strand. The witnesses stated that it looked like the engine separated from the front of the airplane. The pilot jumped out and deployed his parachute. The pilot was then picked up by a boat in the local area. On September 5, 2006, the Onslow County Sheriff's Department divers located the airplane about 200 yards from the shore. The airplane was resting about 40-feet below the surface. The divers pulled the airplane up towards the surface and then had it hoisted toward the shore.

An FAA Inspector telephoned the pilot on September 7, 2006, to schedule a visit for photographing the crashed aircraft and components. The pilot stated that he had already moved the airplane to his home in Chinquapin and disassembled it. The pilot said he had not found the engine or propeller. When asked, the pilot stated he was aware of engine and propeller bulletins and stated the engine had a "new crankshaft" and that a propeller inspection had been performed. The FAA further stated that they have requested a written statement, last aircraft condition inspection, airworthiness directive compliance list, and the engine and propeller logbooks. To this date, the requested items have not been received from the pilot.

The pilot filed an NTSB 6120.1/2 Aircraft Accident Report with NTSB, but did not submit a written statement about the accident. Numerous attempts to contact the pilot by the NTSB Investigator have also been unsuccessful.