Amateur-built Christen Eagle II accident near Morris, Oklahoma, December 12, 2004
On December 12, 2004 at about 10:56 pm local time, a amateur-built Christen Eagle II, registered N222CE, was destroyed in an accident near Morris, Oklahoma (Ashley Airport). 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 pilot's intentional spin, which was unrecoverable due to exceeded aircraft weight and balance limitations as a result of improper preflight planning/preparation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 2004 · about 10:56 pm local time
- Place
- Morris, Oklahoma · Ashley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Christen Eagle II
- Registration
- N222CE · no longer on the register · serial Crosley-0001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to a witness, who was in a field approximately 1 mile north of the accident site, the airplane was performing aerobatic maneuvers in the area when the airplane flew straight up into the air, and then "fell over into a flat spin." At this point, the witness estimated that the airplane at an approximate altitude of 5,000 feet above the ground. The witness heard the engine "revving up" as the airplane descended behind a tree line. He then heard the airplane impact the ground and the engine stop running. The 1,040-hour pilot, who was occupying the rear seat of the tandem seating experimental bi-plane, purchased the airplane during the first week of July 2004. Post-accident calculations revealed that the airplane was over maximum gross weight and the center of gravity (CG) was aft of the rearward limit. According to page 3-8 of the Christen Eagle II Airplane Flight Manual, "Any particular Christen Eagle II aircraft will recover from any spin type using standard recovery techniques ONLY IF THE AIRCRAFT IS PROPERLY BALANCED. The CG of the aircraft must be within design limits to ensure safe spin recovery. Any aircraft can be dangerously loaded (CG beyond design limits) making spin recovery extremely difficult or impossible. Weight and balance considerations must be taken seriously and pilots must be absolutely certain that the flight CG of their aircraft is within design limits."
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: 1,040 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: fatal
Co-pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 568 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 1,520 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OKM Okmulgee OK at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from OKM, 5 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.