- Date
- July 5, 1987, 17:08 local (23:08 UTC)
- Place
- Snowmass, CO
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N81DGChristian Eagle II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870705080459A
- Case key
- 17259
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The ATP plt and his passenger departed aspen, CO on a local acrobatic flight. Witnesses stated the plt had been performing acrobatic manuevers and was attempting a 'loop' when the acft was observed to 'stall' at the top of the manuever, approximately 2000 feet above the ground. Witnesses observed the acft spin in a near vertical, nose low attitude which continued until grd impact. No evidence of mechanical malfunction of the acft structure, eng or prop was found. The plt had built N81DG.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81DG
- Reported as
- Christian Eagle II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001DG
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-A1D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David Grundfest
- Registered owner
- Dave Groundfest
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 6, 1987
- Departed
- ASE · Aspen, CO
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 9,553 total · 112 in this make and model · 33 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ASE, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.