Christen Industries EAGLE II accident near Aurora, Indiana, March 26, 1986
On March 26, 1986 at about 6:24 pm local time, a Christen Industries EAGLE II, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N39RH, was destroyed in an accident near Aurora, Indiana (Aurora 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 1986 · about 6:24 pm local time
- Place
- Aurora, Indiana · Aurora · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Christen Industries EAGLE II, amateur-built
- Registration
- N39RH · registry record · serial 0001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND WHEN AN UNSUCCESSFUL AEROBATIC LOOP MANEUVER WAS ATTEMPTED ON TAKEOFF. THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS ISSUED A STATEMENT OF ACROBATIC COMPENTENCY WHICH ALLOWED ALL MANEUVERS WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WITH A MINIMUM ALTITUDE LIMITATION OF 500 FEET. THE PILOT HAD APPROXIMATELY 500 HOURS FLIGHT TIME WITH 460 HOURS AS PIC IN THIS TYPE AIRCRAFT. ACCORDING TO THE DESIGNER OF THIS AIRCRAFT IT IS NOT NORMALLY CAPABLE OF SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING A LOOP ON TAKEOFF.
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: 500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 460 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 311 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1986; 19 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 22G Lorain OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 2,400 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from CVG, 13 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N39RH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.