Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Brigham City, Utah 84302
Monday, October 11, 1999 10:40 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot departed for his usual 20 minute aerobatic routine. Radar data indicates that after 8 minutes of aerobatics, the pilot turned to a heading of approximately 120 degrees to return home. Two minutes later, the airplane entered a descending right hand turn, descended 2,000 feet, and impacted the water on a heading of 220 degrees. The pilot was within good radio communication range of several FAA ATC organizations, but no communication from the pilot was heard. The airplane's canopy was equipped with a quick release for emergency airborne jettisoning. The pilot was found wearing a parachute. The pilot's wife said that during the previous year, the 78 year old pilot had been rendered unconscious on two separate occasions by blows to his head. No preimpact engine or airframe anomalies, which might have affected the airplane's performance, were identified.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inability to maintain aircraft control due to an unknown physical impairment.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/11/1999
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1040
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City BRIGHAM CITY
Event State UTAH
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 84302
Event Date Year 1999
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1050 Mountain Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 165
Weather Observation Facility ID OGD
Elevation of weather observation facility 4027
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 38
Time Zone of the weather observation MDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 160
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 16
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1518
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 12 1999 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1326
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Jan 10 2001 9:53AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N24JT
NTSB Number DEN00FA005
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Watkins
Aircraft Model CHRISTEN EAGLE
Aircraft Series Identifier CHRISTEN E
Aircraft Serial Number 0001
Certified Max Gross Weight 1572
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Apr 5 1999 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 123
Airframe Hours 860
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RUSSELL C. HANSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 6805 E. 1900 N.
Aircraft Owner City EDEN
Aircraft Owner State UT
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 84310
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code OGD
Departure City OGDEN
Departure State UT
Departure Country
Departure Time 1019
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 10 2001 12:27PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --