Accident Details
On November 7, 2021, at about 1402 Alaska standard time, an experimental amateur-built 2+2 airplane, registration N540AK, sustained substantial damage when it crashed near Kodiak, Alaska. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The flight originated from Kodiak Municipal Airport (KDK) in Kodiak, Alaska, with a planned destination at a remote off-airport landing site near Saltery Cove. According to a friend of the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to transport hunting gear to establish a hunting camp.
Witness Accounts
Numerous witnesses reported observing the airplane shortly after departure from KDK. They stated that the airplane entered a steep right turn, followed by the nose dropping and the airplane entering a spiraling descent in a near-vertical attitude.
Impact and Aftermath
The airplane impacted a gravel road at an elevation of about 92 feet mean sea level. A surveillance camera captured the impact sequence, showing the airplane striking the ground in a right-wing-low, near-vertical attitude. The airplane came to rest approximately 25 feet from the initial impact point in a heavily wooded area. The fuselage, wings, and tail sustained substantial damage.
Examination
A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.