Cgs Aviation Hawk Two Place Arrow accident near Jackson, Wyoming, June 27, 2005
On June 27, 2005 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Cgs Aviation Hawk Two Place Arrow, registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident near Jackson, Wyoming. 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 loss of airplane pitch control resulting from the pilot/owner's improper reinstallation of the rear locking collar on the elevator control torque tube, which allowed the torque tube to move rearward during flight and loosen the elevator control cable tension.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2005 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cgs Aviation Hawk Two Place Arrow
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial AII-179-3701-TD
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Several witnesses reported that the airplane departed runway 19, and immediately climbed to approximately 500 feet above ground level (agl), while maintaining runway heading. The airplane then turned left onto the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern and maintained a slight climb. One witness, who was in a vehicle, observed the airplane in normal flight on a left downwind for runway 19 at an altitude of 800 to 1,000 feet. The witness observed the airplane turn left (west) onto the base leg for runway 19 "in normal flight and was descending but not what appeared to be abnormal." The airplane continued its nose-low descent toward the terrain until approximately 200 feet agl, the airplane began a "steeper" nose-low descent toward terrain. The airplane then impacted terrain in a wings level attitude, bounced, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. During the descent, the witness did not noticed any movement of the elevator or other flight control surfaces, or any in-flight structural failure of the airplane. The accident flight was the third flight conducted by the pilot since he had completed repairs after sustaining a hard landing with the airplane. In order to complete the repairs to the airplane, the pilot had to removed the elevator and aileron controls located in the boom tube. NTSB materials laboratory examination of the aileron and elevator controls revealed no features or marks were found at a location of approximately 5/16-inch forward of the original location of the rear locking collar on the torque tube surface, with the exception of two distinct circumferential marks. The featureless surface, confirmed by testing, indicated that the locking collar was slightly torqued and that the torque tube had moved relatively slowly over this distance, possibly with two stops. The torque required to loosen the rear locking collar screw was measured at 3-inch pounds, representing a minimal snugging of the collar bolt and collar on the torque tube. According to the manufacturer, a 3/16-inch aft movement of the torque tube would be enough to lose any tension in the elevator control cables. The rear edge of the cutout on the boom tube for the rear control stick displayed three locations where paint had been removed, but there was no material deformation. The lack of deformation is consistent with light contact by the control stick, which would be expected if the control stick had been pulled rearwards manually. A lightly rubbed area on the aileron crank revealed laterally orientated arced lines on the surface and corresponding laterally orientated smeared surface on the upper front bulkhead tube. No evidence was found to indicate that an inspection mirror had been trapped in the boom tube.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,400 hours in all; 15 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 50 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hirth 3701 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JAC Jackson WY at 6:18 pm
- Destination: JAC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from JAC, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under UNREG 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.
