Amateur-built BACKCOUNTRY SUPER CR accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, May 21, 2017
On May 21, 2017 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 2015 amateur-built BACKCOUNTRY SUPER CR, registered N484WT, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Talkeetna, Alaska (Talkeetna airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 2017 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · Talkeetna · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BACKCOUNTRY SUPER CR NO SERIES, built 2015
- Registration
- N484WT · registry record · serial BC31411007
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while participating in a slow flight competition, he was over the target area for the radar speed check about 30 ft above the ground, at 17 mph ground speed, when the left wing stalled. He added that he did not have sufficient altitude to recover. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Task environment › Pressures/demands › (general) › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 460 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 17, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 460 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 15, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Aerosport Power IO-375 (piston); 460 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TKA Talkeetna AK
- Destination: TKA Talkeetna AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.47 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PATK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 13, 2017. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos (Courtesy of Pilot) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.