Bal-Air Inc/Wayne John K CHRISTEN EAGLE accident near Groveland, California, February 12, 2011
On February 12, 2011 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Bal-Air Inc/Wayne John K CHRISTEN EAGLE, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N17AJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Groveland, California (Pine Mountain Lake 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 compensate for crosswind conditions and maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 12, 2011 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Groveland, California · Pine Mountain Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bal-Air Inc/Wayne John K CHRISTEN EAGLE, amateur-built
- Registration
- N17AJ · registry record · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that as the airplane settled on the runway, it passed several hangars and a hill, and the tail was pushed by a crosswind. The pilot tried to correct the movement but was unsuccessful. The airplane departed the runway at 35-40 mph, pivoted up on the nose, twisted to the right, and settled back down on its landing gear. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that it sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that the airplane and engine experienced no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 504 hours in all; 287 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 12, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 805 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KOAR Marina CA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: KE45 Groveland CA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 27, 3,624 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:00 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.