Amateur-built CHRISTEN EAGLE II accident near Lake Elsinore, California, September 9, 2000
On September 9, 2000 at about 8:35 pm local time, a amateur-built CHRISTEN EAGLE II, registered N44ED, was destroyed in an accident near Lake Elsinore, California. 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 failure to maintain clearance from ground obstacles that resulted in an in-flight collision with a tree, while intentionally maneuvering at a low altitude, and the pilot's inattentive visual lookout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2000 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Elsinore, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built CHRISTEN EAGLE II CHRISTEN E
- Registration
- N44ED · registry record · serial HUMPHREY0001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the pilot maneuvered at a low altitude to afford the passenger the opportunity to photograph the landscape, the airplane collided with a tree and terrain. The airplane impacted the ground 85 feet from the tree and came to rest 320 feet from the tree. A postimpact fire erupted which destroyed the airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration coordinator reported that flight visibility from the rear seat, where the pilot was situated, was somewhat restricted. The continuity of the flight control system was verified, and no evidence was observed of any preimpact malfunction with any of the examined wreckage.
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: 1,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming NOT REPORTED (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CNO Chino CA at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 194°F (90°C), dew point 82°F (28°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from RIV, 15 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.
Other NTSB records under N44ED the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.