Christen Industries A-1 accident near Lebec, CA
On March 11, 1998, a Christen Industries A-1 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Lebec, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 11, 1998
- Place
- Lebec, CA
- Aircraft
- Christen Industries A-1 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.861°N, 118.870°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X09702
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 11, 1998, at 1009 hours Pacific standard time, a Christen A-1, N9615G, operated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a public-use aircraft, collided with terrain approximately 8 statute miles north of Lebec, California. At the time of the accident, the front seat pilot was maneuvering the airplane at a low altitude in furtherance of the USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services program. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed, and the commercial pilot in the front seat (a trainee in the program) was fatally injured. The rear seat crewmember, who also possessed a commercial pilot certificate, was performing aerial gunnery and instructional duties. He was seriously injured. The local area flight originated from an open field about 0930. The field was located about 5 miles from the crash site, northwest of Interstate Highway 5 and the Pump Plant Road. The USDA management reported that the mission of the APHIS program is to curtail damage to agricultural products caused by wildlife. To effectively accomplish the program's objectives, the Wildlife Services aviation program requires its pilots to fly in close proximity to the ground while maneuvering at slow airspeeds. The accident occurred during an authorized aerial hunting flight operation over a designated work site on private property. The flight crew consisted of a trainee-pilot and an instructor-gunner. An USDA employee-witness, who was working as a ground crewmember in the coyote
Probable cause
The trainee-pilot's failure to maintain altitude during a low level turn. Contributing factors were the pilot-in-command's diverted attention inside the airplane, his failure to report the trainee's deficient airplane handling abilities, and the shoulder harness's incorrect seatback attachment location which was not rectified during required inspections.
More accidents in CA
- Douglas MD-83, Feb 1, 2000
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32, Aug 31, 1986
- British Aerospace BAE-146-200, Dec 8, 1987
- Beech C-99, Aug 24, 1984
- Sikorsky S-61N, Aug 6, 2008
Browse: California · Christen aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
