Christen A-1 accident near Curtis, Nebraska, April 5, 2004
On April 5, 2004, a Christen A-1, registered N9599B, was destroyed in an accident near Curtis, Nebraska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's ostentatious display of a "hammerhead stall" during intial climb and his failure to maintain clearance from terrain. A factor was the post impact fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 2004
- Place
- Curtis, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Christen A-1
- Registration
- N9599B · no longer on the register · serial 1105
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was destroyed by ground impact and post-impact fire while maneuvering at low altitude after takeoff. A witness reported that he watched and heard the pilot start the airplane and conduct a magneto and propeller check. The witness saw the airplane taxi out and start its takeoff roll to the south. He reported the airplane was in a steep climb and when the airplane stopped climbing, the pilot "kicked the tail around and attempted a hammerhead stall." He reported the airplane did not have enough altitude to recover and it impacted the ground, right wing low. The witness also reported that he did not hear any power change "from takeoff until the plane hit the ground."
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,705 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 2,640 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 21, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 592 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 6, 2003; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,880 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C1G (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Curtis NE at 10:55 pm
- Destination: 64V Wallace NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from LBF, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.