Christen Industries A-1 accident near Terreton, Idaho, December 20, 2004
On December 20, 2004 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Christen Industries A-1, registered N2898D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Terreton, Idaho. It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2004 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Terreton, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Christen Industries A-1
- Registration
- N2898D · registry record · serial 1019
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the public use flight was to hunt coyotes. The pilot reported that the airplane was at an altitude of 50 to 100 feet agl. After the gunner shot one of a group of three coyotes and wounded another, he circled the airplane left to line up for another shot at the wounded coyote. The turn was made at 60 knots with three notches of flaps. After completing the left turn, the "aircraft seemed to lose elevator control," the tail pitched up, and the nose went down. The pilot added full power and had just enough time to raise the nose before the airplane hit the ground. The forward section of the lower fuselage was crushed upward. The main landing gear separated, and the right wing separated at the wing root and rotated forward.
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
- Flight time: 3,307 hours in all; 2,414 in this make and model; 107 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 3,188 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 23, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,003 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 13, 2004; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-CIG (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Usda, Aphis, Wildlife Services
The flight
- Departed from: REX Rexburg ID at 3:15 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
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 N2898D 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.