Quest KODIAK 100 N153RW

Summary

On 9 October 2015 at about 18:30 local time, a Quest KODIAK 100 registered N153RW, operated by Robert L. Wallick, JR., was involved in an accident near Sheridan, Wyoming, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 October 2015 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Sheridan, Wyoming, United States

Nearest airport

Sheridan County (KSHR)

Coordinates

44.7692, -106.9803

Aircraft

Quest KODIAK 100

Registration

N153RW

Category

Airplane

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Robert L. Wallick, JR.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sheridan → Sheridan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA019

1 person was seriously injured.

The loss of airplane control during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was conducting a personal local flight. Two witnesses reported observing the airplane lift off in an extreme nose-high attitude, level off, and then reenter a nose-high attitude before it descended and impacted the ground 1,500 ft south of the runway. After the accident, the pilot told the airport manager that the flight controls had jammed during takeoff. The airport manager reported that he examined the airplane and that all of the flight controls moved freely. During subsequent examination, flight control continuity from the cockpit controls to all of the flight control surfaces was confirmed, and all of the flight controls moved freely. The floorboards were removed to check for debris, but none was found. The pilot reported that the last flight in the airplane was flown by another pilot who had mentioned to him that someone in the service center had given him a red foam block with a streamer, which he had placed between the elevator and the horizontal stabilizer as instructed. The accident pilot stated that he did not see the foam block or feel it during the control checks, which were normal. The recovery crew, airport manager, and insurance adjuster reported that they did not find a red foam block with a streamer.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.