Christen Industries A-1 accident near Lebec, California, March 11, 1998
On March 11, 1998 at about 5:09 pm local time, a Christen Industries A-1, registered N9615G, was destroyed in an accident near Lebec, California. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The trainee-pilot's failure to maintain altitude during a low level turn. Contributing factors were the pilot-in-command's diverted attention inside the airplane, his failure to report the trainee's deficient airplane handling abilities, and the shoulder harness's incorrect seatback attachment location which was not rectified during required inspections.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 1998 · about 5:09 pm local time
- Place
- Lebec, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Christen Industries A-1
- Registration
- N9615G · no longer on the register · serial 1136
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In furtherance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services aviation program, the rear seat instructor-gunner and the front seat trainee-pilot commenced aerial hunting operations which required the trainee-pilot to maneuver at slow airspeed and low altitude while the instructor-gunner shot coyotes. The instructor was also required to be observant of the recently hired trainee's flying skill and provide any needed instruction. On previous flights, the instructor had observed the trainee experiencing difficulty maintaining altitude during turns. He also opined that the trainee was not strong enough to fully extend the wing flaps. The trainee used two seat cushions behind her back to reposition her closer to the flight controls (and the instrument panel). The instructor did not report his observations to management. During the accident flight following a coyote shoot, the trainee entered a low altitude, slow airspeed, medium bank turn to reverse course. During the turn, the instructor's attention was diverted to search the cabin floor for an ejected live shotgun shell. The instructor looked outside the airplane just as the left wing impacted the level terrain in a nose low attitude. The USDA operated the public-use airplane and directed the instructor to have it maintained by contract mechanics in accordance with FAA regulations. Contrary to the airplane manufacturer's FAA type certificate, the USDA had erroneously connected the front seat shoulder harness, with its associated inertial reel, to the back of the front seat instead of using the prescribed factory mandated location at an overhead airframe hardpoint. Additionally, the shoulder harness webbing was routed beneath seatback material. An engineering analysis revealed that due to the anchoring of the harness to the seat structure rather than the prescribed airframe hardpoint, and the nose low ground impact trajectory, the inertial crash loads to the seat increased thus exceeding its designed strength. The improper harness attachment combined with the compressive fuselage buckling resulted in the seat yielding in a forward bending direction. The trainee's head impacted the instrument panel resulting in fatal injuries. The airplane had undergone four 100-hour and an annual inspection with the harness incorrectly attached.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,837 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 128 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 6,654 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 741 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 5, 1998; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: U.S. Dept. Of Agriculture
The flight
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.