Christen EAGLE II N24CE

Summary

On 23 February 1992 at about 23:45 local time, a Christen EAGLE II registered N24CE, operated by Raouls, Bernard H., was involved in an accident near Point Reyes Stn, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 February 1992 at 23:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Point Reyes Stn, California, United States

Coordinates

37.6997, -122.0794

Aircraft

Christen EAGLE II

Registration

N24CE

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Raouls, Bernard H.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sonoma → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX92LA365

2 people died.

IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND BY EXCEEDING THE AIRPLANE'S MAXIMUM ACROBATIC GROSS WEIGHT AND EXCEEDING THE AFT AEROBATIC CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMIT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S DECISION TO PERFORM ACROBATIC MANEUVERS WHICH RESULTED IN A INADVERTENT STALL FROM WHICH RECOVERY WAS NOT POSSIBLE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A CHRISTEN EAGLE II LOST CONTROL DURING ACROBATIC MANEUVERS, COLLIDED WITH COASTAL WATERS AND WAS NEVER RECOVERED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED IN A STEEP CLIMB, DID A WING OVER, AND THEN ENTERED A SPIN. AFTER 4 TO 5 ROTATIONS IN THE SPIN THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO PULL OUT. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN OBSERVED ROTATING AS IF IN A SPIN AND SIMULTANEOUSLY FLIPPING NOSE OVER UNTIL ITS TAIL STRUCK THE WATER. THE PILOT'S TOTAL DOCUMENTED AERONAUTICAL EXPERIENCE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE MAKE AND MODEL WAS 14 FLIGHT HOURS. INVESTIGATORS DETERMINED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S WEIGHT EXCEEDED THE MAXIMUM NORMAL AND AEROBATIC ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT. THE CENTER OF GRAVITY (CG) EXCEEDED THE AFT LIMIT OF THE AIRPLANE'S AEROBATIC ALLOWABLE CG. THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL PUBLISHES A WARNING WHICH STATES IN PART; 'PILOTS MUST TAKE WEIGHT AND BALANCE RESPONSIBILITIES SERIOUSLY. ALL AIRCRAFT MUST BE LOADED SO THAT THE AIRCRAFT CG WILL REMAIN WITHIN SAFE LIMITS AT ALL TIMES. ALL SPIN RECOVERY PROCEDURES DEPEND ON HAVING THE CG REMAIN WITHIN DESIGN LIMITS.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.