Quest KODIAC 100 incident near Page, Arizona, August 17, 2015
On August 17, 2015 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 2011 Quest KODIAC 100, registered N771RT, suffered minor damage in an incident during takeoff near Page, Arizona. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent failure to engage the seat in the locked position before takeoff, which resulted in the seat sliding back during the takeoff roll and a subsequent loss of directional control. Contributing to the incident was the seat locking mechanism's design of limited feedback, which made it difficult to verify if the seat stops were positively engaged.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 2015 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Page, Arizona · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Quest KODIAC 100 NO SERIES, built 2011
- Registration
- N771RT · registry record · serial 100-0059
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff roll on the non-scheduled passenger flight, the pilot's seat slid back abruptly to the full-aft position. Because his right hand was positioned on the throttle for takeoff, the pilot inadvertently retarded the throttle to the idle position as the seat slid aft. The airplane began to veer off the runway and collided with a wire fence. The seat was designed with two latches, one located on each of the right and left sides of the seat, which are lifted to enable the seat to move along the track. The seat track consisted of two metal rails that were affixed to the floor along the airplane's longitudinal axis. The rails had numerous circular receptacles where the seat stop would engage when the seat was locked into position. In order to move the seat, a handle on the latches would be raised upward, the seat stops would both raise, and the pilot could move the seat. The latch gives no positive indication (feel) when effectively raised or lowered. The before takeoff checklist contained in the pilot's operating handbook included the item, "seat locked and secure." An examination of the pilot's seat revealed that both the left and the right aft locking foot caps were damaged. The locking foot caps comprise a four-pronged housing that encages the seat stop mechanisms. It is likely that the caps were damaged during maintenance and/or installation. Instead of completely removing the seat from the airplane, the technician likely pushed the seat all the way aft on the tracks. Investigators attempted to replicate the incident scenario and were successful only when applying an extreme side load or manipulating the latch. The lack of positive response in the latch of the stops being engaged in the tracks made it difficult to verify if the seat stops were positively engaged before the takeoff attempt. It is unknown if the damaged locking foot caps contributed to the incident.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incomplete action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Seat/cargo attach fitting › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 6,339 hours in all; 99 in this make and model; 79 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 6,216 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 16, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 953 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 23, 2015; 89 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,305 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney PT6A-34 (turboprop); 953 hours total
- Operator: Arrow West Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: Page AZ
- Destination: CNY Moab UT
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.