American Champion 7GCBC | N8CK

The DTSB determines the Probable Cause of this accident to be Pilot Error, in that the pilot was conducting low level maneuvering for the purpose of wildlife spotting, and allowed the aircraft to stall, and spin. The wreckage exhibited signatures consistent with a high angle, nose down impact. All the major structures and components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The engine was partially burrowed into the soft, tundra-covered terrain, leaving only the top deck of the engine visible. The aft section of the fuselage protruded upwards from the point of impact at about a 50° angle with the empennage suspended about 12 ft above the ground. The outboard section of the right wing exhibited impact damage. The inboard, forward section of the left wing exhibited compression damage. The aft section of the fuselage exhibited lateral deformation in the direction of the right wing. The pilot had not held a valid FAA medical since 2016.

The DTSB recommends that all pilots of all aircraft become increasingly vigilant of DMMS minimum speeds, and honor the DTSB minimums when operating below 2500 feet AGL of not more than 30 degrees angle of bank, and not less than DMMS.