Amateur-built 2+2 accident near Kodiak, Alaska, November 7, 2021
On November 7, 2021 at about 11:02 pm local time, a 2018 amateur-built 2+2, registered N540AK, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Kodiak, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 2021 · about 11:02 pm local time
- Place
- Kodiak, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 2+2, built 2018
- Registration
- N540AK · no longer on the register · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Numerous witnesses reported that, shortly after takeoff, the airplane entered a steep right turn, the nose dropped, and the airplane entered a spiraling descent in a near-vertical attitude. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The damage to the airplane and surveillance video were consistent with a near-vertical descent indicative of an aerodynamic stall. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain sufficient airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.74 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from PADQ, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PADQ 072153Z 32011G19KT 290V350 10SM CLR 02/M05 A2974
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on June 7, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engine Monitoring Device (EDM) - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Attachment 1 to Engine Monitoring Device (EDM) - Specialist's Factual Report | data file | Download |
| 3 | GPS Email Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Attachment 1 - GPS Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Attachment 2 - GPS Report | data file | Download |
| 6 | Witness Statements | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Wreckage Examination Summary | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Autopsy Memorandum for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N540AK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.