Quest KODIAK 100 accident near Sheridan, Wyoming, October 9, 2015
On October 9, 2015 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 2015 Quest KODIAK 100, registered N153RW, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Sheridan, Wyoming (Sheridan County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of airplane control during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 2015 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sheridan, Wyoming · Sheridan County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quest KODIAK 100, built 2015
- Registration
- N153RW · no longer on the register · serial 100-0153
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,500 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 28 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 7,255 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney PT6A-34 (turboprop); 28 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSHR Sheridan WY at 6:30 pm
- Destination: KSHR Sheridan WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,039 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KSHR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.