Gregg Origer PA-18 REPLICA N368G

Summary

On 24 October 2021 at about 02:25 local time, a Gregg Origer PA-18 REPLICA registered N368G was involved in an accident near Willow, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, 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

24 October 2021 at 02:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Willow, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Minuteman Strip (AK68)

Coordinates

61.7188, -150.0541

Aircraft

Gregg Origer PA-18 REPLICA

Registration

N368G

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wasilla → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC22LA004

1 person died.

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing his experimental, amateur-built airplane at a private airport when the airplane impacted terrain in a nose-down, near-vertical attitude short of the runway. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. No significant tree impacts were observed on the airframe. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control. At the pilot’s request, numerous design changes were incorporated into the wings, ailerons, and flaps of the accident airplane. The manufacturer of the kit and the designer of the flaps stated that they told the pilot and builder that the design changes were not recommended; however, the kit was built to the pilot’s specifications. It is likely that the design changes affected the stall characteristic of the airplane; however, the role those changes played in the accident sequence could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.