Amateur-built MOUNTAIN EAGLE accident near Halliday, North Dakota, January 22, 1995
On January 22, 1995 at about 11:15 pm local time, a amateur-built MOUNTAIN EAGLE, registered N2176Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Halliday, North Dakota (Private/Rla airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S PREMATURE LIFT-OFF AND DELAYED ABORTED TAKEOFF.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 1995 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Halliday, North Dakota · Private/Rla · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MOUNTAIN EAGLE MOUNTAIN E
- Registration
- N2176Z · no longer on the register · serial 2000
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES OBSERVED THE HOMEBUILT LIFT OFF IN A 3-POINT ATTITUDE, SETTLE BACK TO THE RUNWAY BANKING ITS WINGS RIGHT AND LEFT. THE AIRPLANE THEN RAN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY ONTO ROUGH TERRAIN. WITNESSES WHO WERE PILOTS, AND A NON-PILOT RATED PASSENGER, STATED THE ENGINE RAN UNINTERRUPTED. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE SURGED AND EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. ON-SCENE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT BOTH PROPELLER BLADE TIPS WERE CURLED FORWARD; ONE BLADE WAS BOWED FORWARD FROM THE HUB TO THE CURLED TIP. THE EXAMINATION ALSO FOUND AN INOPERATIVE RIGHT MAGNETO DUE TO INTERNAL DAMAGE, AND GRAY/TAN COLORED SPARK PLUGS WITHOUT ELECTRODE CONTAMINATION.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 10,000 as pilot in command; 3,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 239 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1994; 239 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,400 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 pm from DIK, 45 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.