CubCrafters CC18-180 N469AK

Summary

On 1 July 2022 at about 18:25 local time, a CubCrafters CC18-180 registered N469AK, operated by Akima Logistics Services LLC, was involved in an accident near Air Force Academy, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 July 2022 at 18:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Air Force Academy, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Usaf Academy Afld (AFF)

Coordinates

38.9780, -104.8233

Aircraft

CubCrafters CC18-180

Registration

N469AK

Category

Airplane

Year built

2018

Engines

1

Operator

Akima Logistics Services LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Glider Tow

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA297

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during the go-around, which resulted in impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment from the effects of alcohol consumption.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The glider tow pilot had completed one flight and was returning to the airport following the second tow of the day. The pilot reported that, during the approach, he encountered a meteorological effect and the airplane drifted to the left and the pilot decided to initiate a go-around. As the airplane was accelerating during the go-around, it started “turning/yawing” even though the pilot was trying to accelerate straight and level. The pilot surmised this was from the same meteorological effect that initially pushed the airplane left. The pilot noticed that the airplane seemed to yaw to the right, the airplane began descending, touched down, and came to rest inverted in a grass field, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. The pilot admitted to first responders that he had consumed alcohol earlier that morning. The pilot was evaluated at a hospital, where he was diagnosed with alcohol intoxication based on a serum ethanol test result of 0.079 g/dL collected about one hour after the accident. It is likely that the pilot was experiencing impairing effects of ethanol at the time of the accident. It is unknown whether ethanol’s impairing effects were worsened by altitude effects (the field elevation of the airport was about 6,500 ft above mean sea level); however, it is likely that ethanol effects increased the pilot’s risk of making serious errors and diminished his ability to effectively maintain airplane control. Thus, pilot impairment from effects of alcohol consumption likely contributed to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.