Accident Details
On September 15, 2022, at about 1442 mountain daylight time, an experimental CGS Hawk, registration N5148G, sustained substantial damage during an off-airport landing near Lander, Wyoming. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane was being operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that he was on a cross-country flight that began on August 28, 2022, with the final destination being Isabell Field Airport (4A9) in Fort Payne, Alabama. On the day of the accident, he departed from Hunt Field Airport (KLND) in Lander, Wyoming, en route to Kimball Municipal Airport (IBM) in Kimball, Nebraska. Approximately 40 minutes after departure, at about 9,500 ft mean sea level, the empennage section began to violently shake up and down. The pilot decided to execute an off-airport landing, reducing the throttle and initiating a glide. He stated that the airplane remained stable during the glide with no excessive vibration, and he was able to control it smoothly. After touchdown, the airplane bounced and then landed hard on sloped, uneven terrain, subsequently nosing over. The tail assembly sustained substantial damage.
Recovery and Investigation
Law enforcement officials reported that a local resident discovered the airplane and pilot in a field and assisted in moving the airplane onto a flatbed truck. During recovery, the pilot admitted to using zip ties to keep sections of the airplane intact, expressed disinterest in keeping the airplane, and sent a digital copy of the airplane's title to the resident via text message. An FAA inspector photographed the disassembled airplane on the truck but could not examine the engine or airframe. The pilot stated he had purchased the airplane about a month before the accident. He noted the installed engine was a pre-owned car engine with about 59,000 miles, installed about 7 years prior. He believed the engine and frame were too heavy for the airframe. According to the pilot, this was the first time in 90 days (about 204 flight hours) that the empennage had violently shaken in flight. The pilot reported his visa would expire about two weeks after the accident and that he would return to his home country. Despite repeated attempts, the NTSB investigator-in-charge did not receive further responses from the pilot or the local resident.