Christen Industries Eagle II accident near Boone, North Carolina, February 9, 2008
On February 9, 2008 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Christen Industries Eagle II, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N712RP, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Boone, North Carolina (Boone Inc Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance/altitude while on the final leg of the traffic pattern. Contributing to the accident were the proximity of the trees to the threshold, and the lack of a displaced threshold.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 9, 2008 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Boone, North Carolina · Boone Inc Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Christen Industries Eagle II, amateur-built
- Registration
- N712RP · registry record · serial 1002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the Christen Eagle II said he was "lined up well," for the runway but just prior to landing, the left wing struck trees, and the airplane impacted the ground near the runway threshold. The airplane came to rest inverted, and even though it was upside down, and the pilot had difficulty releasing the canopy, he was able to exit the airplane unassisted. Photographic evidence indicated that the trees were located approximately 80 feet prior to the threshold, with tops approximately 20 feet above the runway elevation. The runway threshold was not displaced, and the presence of the trees was not included in the commercially available obstacle notation.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Not specified
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Lack of communication › ATC personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,800 hours in all; 50 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NC14 Boone NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,600 ft by 42 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 3:02 pm from GEV, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC08CA097.