Amateur-built Christen Eagle II accident near Clearwater, Minnesota, August 22, 2010
On August 22, 2010 at about 5:40 pm local time, a amateur-built Christen Eagle II, registered N222ET, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (aerobatics) near Clearwater, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2010 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Clearwater, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Christen Eagle II
- Registration
- N222ET · registry record · serial 0001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (aerobatics) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weight/balance calculations › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 515 hours in all; 18 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 3, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 9, 2010
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Clearwater MN
- Destination: Clearwater MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from STC, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.