- Date
- February 9, 2008, 10:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Boone, NC
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N712RPChristen Industries Eagle II
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080209014049A
- Case key
- 67495
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
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance/altitude while on the final leg of the traffic pattern. Contributing to the accident were the proximity of the trees to the threshold, and the lack of a displaced threshold.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the Christen Eagle II said he was "lined up well," for the runway but just prior to landing, the left wing struck trees, and the airplane impacted the ground near the runway threshold. The airplane came to rest inverted, and even though it was upside down, and the pilot had difficulty releasing the canopy, he was able to exit the airplane unassisted. Photographic evidence indicated that the trees were located approximately 80 feet prior to the threshold, with tops approximately 20 feet above the runway elevation. The runway threshold was not displaced, and the presence of the trees was not included in the commercially available obstacle notation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the Christen Eagle II said he was "lined up well," for the runway but just prior to landing, the left wing struck trees, and the airplane impacted the ground near the runway threshold. The airplane came to rest inverted, and even though it was upside down, and the pilot had difficulty releasing the canopy, he was able to exit the airplane unassisted. Photographic evidence indicated that the trees were located approximately 80 feet prior to the threshold, with tops approximately 20 feet above the runway elevation. The runway threshold was not displaced, and the presence of the trees was not included in the commercially available obstacle notation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N712RP
- Reported as
- Christen Industries Eagle II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1002
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-A1D, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- NC14 · Boone, NC
- Airport
- NC14 · Boone Inc Airport, runway 13, 2,600 × 42 ft, asphalt
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
- 72
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 6,800 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- GEV, 18 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.