Matt Younkin crashed his Super Decathlon on approach to the Siloam Springs airport. Initial reports indicate he is in critical condition.
Matt is the son of legendary airshow performer Bobby Younkin, who was killed by a mid-air collision with Jimmy Franklin in an airshow in Canada in 2005. Matt himself, is a well known airshow performer often seen at airshows across the country performing aerobatics in his Beech 18.
We can all hope for a full recovery for Matt. I saw the Beech 18 performance at Oshkosh. Though this was a different aircraft, it felt like it was a matter of time. The Younkin/Franklin family has been through a lot.
I hope Matt recovers soon. I got to meet Matt and spend some time with him when he spent a week at the airport I work at with a mutual friend. Very nice guy.
Also, thought to add a little more ACCURATE information about the crash. He was not flying his Decathlon, but the Mullicoupe. He had an engine failure and was forced to land off airport. On approach he struck some powerlines that he didn’t see.
I was only posting what was told to me by word from a friend of mine who lives in Siloam Springs. Thanks for the updated info, and sorry for the inaccurate first report.
“Airshow pilot Matt Younkin was injured on Tuesday afternoon when the Mullicoupe he was flying crashed in a field, but he is expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2010 airshow season, according to a statement at his Web site. “During his flight he experienced a loss of power and was forced into an emergency landing,” the statement reads. The airplane came down next to a model airplane field south of his home in Siloam Springs, Ark. A local TV station reported that the airplane hit shrubs and trees, and parts of the airplane were torn off. The FAA is investigating the crash…”
