SCHNEIDER Christen Eagle II — Clearwater, MN, 2010

SCHNEIDER Christen Eagle II — Clearwater, MN

2 fatal

Date	August 22, 2010
Location	Clearwater, MN
Aircraft	SCHNEIDER Christen Eagle II (amateur-built)
Purpose of flight	Personal
Conditions	Day · Visual Meteorological Cond
Phase / occurrence	Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
Pilot age	32
Pilot total time	515 hrs · Building experience
Time in type	18 hrs
Fatalities	2

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and his improper decision to perform aerobatic maneuvers without proper experience or training in aerobatic flight. Also causal was his conduct of aerobatic flight in an airplane loaded outside its weight and balance limits.

NTSB findings

Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-(general)-(general)-Pilot - C
Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Weight/balance calculations-Pilot - C
Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C

What happened

The pilot was performing aerobatic maneuvers with a passenger aboard when the airplane reportedly entered a spiraling dive. The pilot began to recover from the dive about 500 feet above the ground; however, the airplane subsequently impacted the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane weight and balance information was not recovered, but a reported estimate indicated that the airplane was being flown above the maximum weight and beyond the aft center gravity limits for aerobatic flight. Neither the pilot nor the passenger were wearing parachutes as required for aerobatic flight. Additionally, the pilot had no reported experience or training for aerobatic flight.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.