Christen A-1 N2898D

Summary

On 20 December 2004 at about 17:00 local time, a Christen A-1 registered N2898D, operated by USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services, was involved in an accident near Terreton, Idaho, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 December 2004 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Terreton, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

43.9383, -112.4886

Aircraft

Christen A-1

Registration

N2898D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services

Operating rule

Public Use

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rexburg → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA05TA028

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of the public use flight was to hunt coyotes. The pilot reported that the airplane was at an altitude of 50 to 100 feet agl. After the gunner shot one of a group of three coyotes and wounded another, he circled the airplane left to line up for another shot at the wounded coyote. The turn was made at 60 knots with three notches of flaps. After completing the left turn, the "aircraft seemed to lose elevator control," the tail pitched up, and the nose went down. The pilot added full power and had just enough time to raise the nose before the airplane hit the ground. The forward section of the lower fuselage was crushed upward. The main landing gear separated, and the right wing separated at the wing root and rotated forward.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.