Quest KODIAK 100 N153RW accident near Sheridan, Wyoming

Probable cause

The loss of airplane control during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

NTSB analysis

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.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN16LA019 for the full record.