Amateur-built Christen Eagle II accident near Hollister, California, March 13, 2004
On March 13, 2004, a amateur-built Christen Eagle II, registered N796L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hollister, California (Hollister Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to obtain proper runway alignment and maintain clearance from a sign due to his inadequate visual lookout. Factors in the accident were crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 2004
- Place
- Hollister, California · Hollister Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Christen Eagle II
- Registration
- N796L · registry record · serial GAR02
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with a taxiway sign while attempting to land. A crosswind from the left required the pilot to perform a forward slip. As the airplane approached the runway, he raised the nose and leveled the airplane. He noted that the airplane was to the right of centerline, by looking out the left side of the cockpit; in a nose-high attitude the pilot is unable to see in front of this airplane. In his peripheral vision, he could see pavement on both sides of the airplane, leading him to believe that he was still over the runway. The landing gear collided with a taxiway sign off the right side of the runway, and the nose impacted the ground. The pilot noted that there is old pavement adjacent to both sides of the runway, making it appear wider than it is. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,017 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 17, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q99 San Martin CA at 11:10 pm
- Destination: 3O7 Hollister CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.