Amateur-built EAGLE 2 accident near Valpariso, Indiana, July 28, 1983
On July 28, 1983, a amateur-built EAGLE 2, registered N930AA, was destroyed in an accident near Valpariso, Indiana (Porter County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1983
- Place
- Valpariso, Indiana · Porter County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built EAGLE 2
- Registration
- N930AA · registry record · serial 400125
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PERSON WHO SOLD THE ACFT TO THE PLT STATED HE HAD GIVEN THE PLT A TRAINING FLT THAT EVENING, BUT SINCE THERE WAS ONLY 1 SET OF CONTROLS, THE PLT (INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT) ONLY OBSERVED. SINCE DARKNESS WAS APCHG, THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE FLYING. HOWEVER, HE (THE PREVIOUS OWNER) SUGGESTED THAT THE PLT (NEW OWNER) COULD TAXI THE ACFT, WHICH WAS A 2 PLACE ULTRALIGHT. WHILE THE PLT WAS TAXIING, WITTNESSES SAW THE ACFT BECOME AIRBORNE. ONE WITNESS SAID THE ACFT CLIMBED TO 150TO 200 FT, ENTERED A SHALLOW RIGHT TURN, THEN ENTERED A LEFT TURN WHICH BECAME PROGRESIVELY STEEPER UNTIL THE ACFT WENT INTO A STEEP DIVE & CRASHED. TWO OTHERS SAID THE ACFT ENTERED A STEEP CLIMB AFTER LIFT-OFF, THEN ENTERED A LEFT TURN. ONE SAID IT MADE TWO 360 DEG CLIMBING LEFT TURNS, FOLLOWED BY THREE 360 DEG DESCENDING LEFT TURNS, BEFORE IT CRASHED. ALL SAID THE ENG REMAINED AT HIGH POWER. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE PLT USED A 10 LB WT ON THE RIGHT WING FOR BALLAST. REPORTEDLY, THE 210 LB PLT NEEDED ABOUT 11 LBS FOR LATTERAL BALANCE.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 76 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 30 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, June 12, 1983; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 630 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 CC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI83FA336.