Amateur-built CHRISTEN EAGLE II accident near Atchison, Kansas, July 22, 2017
On July 22, 2017 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1981 amateur-built CHRISTEN EAGLE II, registered N304DR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Atchison, Kansas (Amelia Earhart airport). It was a personal flight 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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2017 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Atchison, Kansas · Amelia Earhart · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CHRISTEN EAGLE II NO SERIES, built 1981
- Registration
- N304DR · registry record · serial RADFORD-0001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the tailwheel-equipped airplane encountered a wind gust and subsequently veered off the runway to the left. The pilot overcorrected to the right, and the airplane ground looped to the left. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the automated weather observation system indicated that the wind was from 270° at 10 knots. The airplane landed on runway 34.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,238 hours in all; 1,148 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 3,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 24, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,152 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIOA1A (piston); 9 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DDC Dodge City KS at 1:30 pm
- Destination: K59 Atchison KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,000 ft by 48 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KSTJ, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 5, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.