Sherpa Training Flight Crash Near Colquitt (84-0466)

Incident Overview and Flight Details A Sherpa aircraft departed Fort Rucker-Cairns AAF on a training flight carrying three crew members. The crew was tasked with testing the aircraft in a special configuration. Approximately two hours and 45 minutes into the flight, the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 5,336 feet in good weather conditions. During this phase, the aircraft became unstable, rolling to the right at an angle of 12° and then to the left at an angle of 35°. The aircraft subsequently entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an open field located 4 miles north of Colquitt, where it burst into flames. All three occupants were killed in the accident. ## Operational Context and Findings The crew had originally planned to simulate an engine failure at an altitude of 10,000 feet. However, problems were encountered as the aircraft's speed was dropping at a rate of approximately one knot per second before it became unstable. At the time of the accident, the aircraft's speed was 89 knots. Investigations determined that the total weight of the aircraft and its center of gravity (CofG) were within limits at the time of the incident. The official findings state that the exact cause of the stall at a speed of 89 knots remains unclear.