Amateur-built CHRISTEN EAGLE II accident near Palo Pinto, Texas, September 5, 1993
On September 5, 1993 at about 4:00 pm local time, a amateur-built CHRISTEN EAGLE II, registered N53JS, was destroyed in an accident near Palo Pinto, Texas. 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 PILOT'S INTENTIONAL STALL AT AN ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT TO ALLOW A SAFE RECOVERY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 1993 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Palo Pinto, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CHRISTEN EAGLE II CHRISTEN E
- Registration
- N53JS · 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 PILOT WAS SCHEDULED TO PERFORM IN AN AIR SHOW LATER ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. HE TOOK OFF FROM THE AIRPORT AND PROCEEDED TO AN UNINHABITED AREA TO PRACTICE AEROBATIC MANEUVERS PRIOR TO HIS OFFICIAL DEMONSTRATION. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRCRAFT ENTER A HAMMERHEAD STALL, SPIN, AND THEN RECOVER. THE AIRPLANE THEN ENTERED A SECOND HAMMERHEAD STALL AT LOW ALTITUDE AND WAS IN AN ALMOST VERTICAL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WHEN IT DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW.
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; instructor: glider; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 217 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, August 20, 1993; 3 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MWL Mineral Wells TX at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from MWL, 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.
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.