Christen Industries Inc. A-1 accident near Elm Springs, South Dakota, July 30, 2007
On July 30, 2007 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Christen Industries Inc. A-1, registered N661FB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Elm Springs, South Dakota. It was a public-use flight (state) under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot not maintaining clearance from the rising terrain. A factor contributing to the accident was the rising terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 2007 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Elm Springs, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Christen Industries Inc. A-1
- Registration
- N661FB · no longer on the register · serial 1175
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (state) · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted rising terrain while maneuvering on a public use animal control flight. The pilot said that he had turned and was heading south and had begun a shallow descent to maintain a constant altitude above down-sloping terrain. The pilot said, "As we continued to descend I noticed a slight rise in the terrain and determined that we had plenty of altitude to clear that rise and continued on with my southerly flight path and shallow descent. As we approached the slight rise in the terrain the pressure in the stick changed very quickly with a movement in the pitch axis only. The pressure came back immediately and then there was another pressure change in the stick that was a little more pronounced. This movement was identical to the other in that it was a pitch change only; there was no movement in the roll direction. After the second time the pitch change changed I made a remark to the gunner and the crash took place." Flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the airplane's systems revealed no anomalies.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,944 hours in all; 222 in this make and model; 157 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 5,875 as pilot in command; 4,960 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,189 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,890 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C1G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6V4 Wall SD at 12:15 pm
- Destination: 6V4 Wall SD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 12:52 pm from RAP, 26 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.