Christen Industries EAGLE II accident near Roswell, New Mexico, October 1, 1987
On October 1, 1987 at about 6:00 am local time, a Christen Industries EAGLE II, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N16RK, was destroyed in an accident near Roswell, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were 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
- October 1, 1987 · about 6:00 am local time
- Place
- Roswell, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Christen Industries EAGLE II, amateur-built
- Registration
- N16RK · registry record · serial KR 0001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT AND HIS PLT RATED PAX DEPARTED ROSWELL AT ABOUT 0900 MDT TO PRACTICE MANEUVERS IN THE LOCAL AREA. THE WRECKAGE OF THE HOMEBUILT ACFT WAS FOUND IN AN OPEN FIELD ABOUT 1+20 AFTER TAKEOFF. THERE WERE NO KNOWN WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. THE INVERTED POSITION OF THE ACFT WRECKAGE AND LACK OF MOVEMENT AFTER IMPACT INDICATED A STALLED FLT CONDITION. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ACFT MALFUNCTION FOUND.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 7,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 145 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 28, 1987; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360L-4143 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ROW Roswell NM at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.