P&M GT450 N988AZ

Summary

On 17 August 2011 at about 00:40 local time, a P&M GT450 registered N988AZ was involved in an accident near Teton Village, Wyoming, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 August 2011 at 00:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Teton Village, Wyoming, United States

Nearest airport

Driggs (KDIJ)

Coordinates

43.6336, -110.9086

Aircraft

P&M GT450

Registration

N988AZ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Driggs → Driggs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11CA387

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed, which resulted in a stall mush to ground impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported departing the airport in the light-sport weight-shift-control airplane, and flying southbound along the western slopes of the Teton Mountain Range. The airplane climbed to an altitude of about 8,000 feet mean sea level, and the pilot changed course, approaching a canyon area to the east. As he approached rising terrain the airplane's rate of climb began to diminish. He elected to continue flight towards a plateau, due to ridges which were now encroaching from his left and right. He attempted to increase the airplane's rate of climb, and the airspeed subsequently began to decrease. He reported that as the airplane approached stall speed, he encountered a gust of wind and the airplane stalled. He lowered the airplane's nose, and was able recover control about 20 feet above ground level. He attempted to land ahead on the plateau; however, during the landing roll, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane rolled onto the right wing, substantially damaging both wings. The accident site was located in a remote area at the 9,800-foot-level on the western slope of the mountain range. The pilot utilized a SPOT Global Positioning System (GPS) emergency locator to summon assistance from search and rescue personnel, who located him about 2 hours after the accident. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.