Harriman & West Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

North Adams, Massachusetts 01247
Friday, April 10, 1987 13:20 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE CHRISTIAN EAGLE WAS COMING IN FOR A TOUCH AND GO WHEN IT SANK INTO TREES, TURNED AROUND AND BECAME INVOLVED IN A POSTCRASH FIRE. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PLT FATALLY INJURED. A PILOT WHO PRECEDED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT SAID THE WINDS WERE GUSTY AND THAT THE GUSTY CONDITIONS WERE INTERMITTENT. NO PRE-EXISTING PROBLEMS WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/10/1987
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1320
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City NORTH ADAMS
Event State MASSACHUSETTS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 01247
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport HARRIMAN & WEST
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 2B6
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 110
Airport Elevation 654
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1320 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 30
Weather Observation Facility ID 2B6
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
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) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 315
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 15
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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 FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2570
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 10 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1350
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37231
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:19PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N11GS
NTSB Number NYC87DNE02
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name SPRAGUE
Aircraft Model CHRISTIAN EAGLE II
Aircraft Series Identifier CHRISTIAN
Aircraft Serial Number 0001-SPRAGUE
Certified Max Gross Weight 1550
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 Mar 31 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 3
Airframe Hours 977
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GERALDINE L. SPRAGUE
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 7
Aircraft Owner City WILLIAMSTOWN
Aircraft Owner State MA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 01267
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name ROBERT C. SPRAGUE, JR.
Operator Same as Owner? No
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1300
Departure Time Zone EDT
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 Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 29
Runway Length 4300
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --