- Date
- August 16, 1990, 18:30 local (Aug 17, 1990, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Akron, AL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3RNNeal Christen Eagle II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900816033159A
- Case key
- 32566
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of the pilot to maintain control of the aircraft and to recover from (or avoid) a subsequent (flat) spin. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's failure to follow established procedures, his lack of familiarity with the aircraft, and the lack of sufficient altitude to recover from the spin.
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
Witnesses rprtd that before the acdnt, the acft was between 400 & 1000 ft AGL in straight & level flight. It was observed to enter a roll to the right. After rolling inverted, the acft entered a spin. The eng was heard to rev up as the acft continued into a flat spin. Subsequently, it collided with terrain & was destroyed. The flt manual stated that aerobatic flt was not to be performed below 1500 ft AGL; a min alt of 3000 ft to 5000 ft AGL was recommended for aerobatic flt. The plt had only about 14 hrs in this make/model of acft. The baggage compartment contained a parachute canopy, though it was to be empty for aerobatic flt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3RN
- Reported as
- Neal Christen Eagle II (CHRISTEN E)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0001
- Airframe hours
- 222
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Moody/Linebarger
- Registered owner
- Robert T Rose
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 1990 · 35 hours before
- Departed
- 02A · Clanton, AL
- Destination
- 3A7 · Eutaw, AL
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
- 58
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,359 total · 14 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TCL, 28 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.