Christen Industries A-1 accident near Pompano Beach, Florida, January 17, 1988
On January 17, 1988 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Christen Industries A-1, registered N29076, was destroyed in an accident near Pompano Beach, Florida (Pompano Beach Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 1988 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Pompano Beach, Florida · Pompano Beach Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Christen Industries A-1
- Registration
- N29076 · registry record · serial 1022
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT AS HE PUSHED THE CONTROL STICK FORWARD IN AN ATTEMPT TO RAISE THE TAIL, THE ACFT VIOLENTLY PITCHED UP, STALLED AND BROKE RIGHT, THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND, & THE ACFT ROLLED OVER & CAME TO REST INVERTED. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE FORWARD CONTROL STICK HAD BEEN REMOVED & WAS REINSTALLED BACKWARDS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, RESTRICTING THE FORWARD MOVEMENT OF THE CONTROL STICK.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 7,350 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 30 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 11, 1987; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C1G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 4,420 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 11 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:42 pm from PMP
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.
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.