# Accident 20220627011389A: Gmk Ventures LLC AL18, Moab, UT, June 27, 2022 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 27, 2022, 13:50 local time - Place: Moab, UT - Airport: Canyonlands Field - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.7576° N, 109.7535° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7576&lon=-109.7535&mi=10 - Aircraft: N17GK, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N17GK) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: GMK Ventures AL18 (registry code 05639GV, https://openairdocs.org/model/gmk-ventures-al18) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Cont IOX370 series (registry code 17501, https://openairdocs.org/engine/cont-iox370-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: GMK VENTURES LLC AL18 - Reported engine: CONT IOX370 SERIES - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 598 total, 325 in this make and model, 38 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR22LA233](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA233) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220627011389A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. NARRATIVE/INVESTIGATION: OUR OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED ON JUNE 27, 2022 OF AN AIRPLANE ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON JUNE 27, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 1350 LOCAL TIME. THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS FLYING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AN AMERICAN LEGEND AL18, FROM JOSLIN FIELD/MAGIC VALLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT (KTWF) TO CANYONLANDS FIELD AIRPORT (KCNY) ON A SOLO FLIGHT. UPON LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED TO THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT. THE TAIL SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ON THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND LEFT ELEVATOR AND THERE WERE MINOR SCRATCHES ON THE LEFT WING TIP. THE PILOT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. THE PILOT STATED THAT ABOUT FORTY-SEVEN MINUTES OUT FROM KCNY HIS ALTERNATOR STOPPED CHARGING THE MAIN BATTERY WHICH RESULTED IN A VOLTAGE DROP. HE SWITCHED SYSTEMS TO UTILIZE THE BACK-UP BATTERY FOR POWER. HE SAID A MINUTE OR TWO LATER THE SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRONICS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE IGNITION, WHICH ALLOWED THE ENGINE TO CONTINUE TO RUN ON THE BACKUP BATTERY. HE SAID AT THIS POINT HE HAD NO REFERENCE TO POSITION, LOCATION, SPEED AND OTHER INSTRUMENT INDICATIONS, AND DID NOT HAVE THE USE OF ANY AVIONICS. HE SAID THAT HE HAD LIMITED TIME BEFORE HE BELIEVED HE WOULD EXPERIENCE AN ENGINE FAILURE. ONCE ON THE APPROACH INTO THE AIRPORT HE STATED THAT HIS ATTENTION AND FOCUS TURNED TO NOT LETTING THE AIRCRAFT GET TOO SLOW SINCE HE DID NOT HAVE ANY REFERENCE TO AIRSPEED. HE STATED THAT ON APPROACH HE FLEW WHAT HE BELIEVES WAS A FASTER THAN NORMAL APPROACH SPEED BECAUSE HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT STALLING DUE TO THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITIONS. ONCE HE WAS A FEW FEET OVER THE RUNWAY, HE HELD THE AIRPLANE OFF TO BLEED OFF HIS EXCESSIVE AIRSPEED. HE SAID THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE AT WHAT POINT HE WOULD TOUCH DOWN DUE TO HIS INABILITY TO KNOW WHAT THE AIRSPEED WAS. THERE WERE NO BACKUP INSTRUMENTS TO SHOW AIRSPEED. HE BELIEVES THIS WAS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE OF HIS AIRSPEED INDICATOR AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS. HE SETTLED THE AIRPLANE ON THE RIGHT MAIN FIRST, AND AS IT DROPPED IT LOADED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT WHICH BEGAN A GROUND LOOP THAT RESULTED IN THE LEFT ELEVATOR STRIKING A RUNWAY LIGHT. UPON EXAMINING THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A LOOSE NEGATIVE WIRE CONNECTION FROM THE ALTERNATOR WAS NOT CHARGING THE ALTERNATOR, RESULTING IN THE FAILURE OF THE SYSTEMS MENTIONED. THE PILOT BELIEVES THAT THIS WAS THE CAUSE FOR THE CHAIN OF EVENTS WHICH LED TO THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPING SINCE HE DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO KNOW HIS SPEED AND WAS FLYING AN ABNORMAL APPROACH AND LANDING. THE PILOT STATED THAT WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB WPR22LA233](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA233), Jun 27, 2022: GMK Ventures AL18 (N17GK), Moab, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a landing attempt, which resulted in a ground loop and collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the absence of an airspeed… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.