Accident Christen Industries A-1 N2866B, Thursday 1 February 1996

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Date:	Thursday 1 February 1996
Time:	18:15 LT
Type:	Christen Industries A-1
Owner/operator:	Us Department Of Agriculture
Registration:	N2866B
MSN:	1002
Total airframe hrs:	3436 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming O-360-C1G
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Lakeview, OR - United States of America
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Unknown
Departure airport:	, OR (KLKV)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The aircraft was being used on an animal control flight, and the pilot was executing a low pass over a frozen, flat, snow covered lake surface, in pursuit of a coyote. During this maneuver, the gunner's weapon jammed, and the pilot diverted his attention to the direction of the weapon's muzzle, which was pointed toward a fuel tank. Immediately thereafter, the aircraft's wheels drug in the snow covered surface, and the aircraft nosed over. An overcast existed at the time, and there was a lack of references available on the smooth, even surface of the lake to enhance the pilot's depth perception.

Probable Cause: failure of the pilot to maintain altitude/clearance from the terrain (snow covered, frozen lake). Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's attention being diverted to a perceived safety hazard, and lack of visual cues for pilot perception of clearance from the lake surface.

Accident investigation: