What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 1140 adt, pilot was returning to anderson lake strip, Wasilla (0AK1). Pilot reduced power and when carb heat was applied engine died. Pilot had just done a touch and go and was at 1700 AGL. The pilot turned around hoping to glide back to Wasilla but it was too FAR. He had two choices - land on the parks highway or on lake Lucille. He chose lake Lucille. Local boaters rescued pilot from the lake after landing. The pilot was the only person board and he was not injured. The aircraft landed approx. 100 yards from the shore and came to rest in water approx. 6 feet deep. Mat-su search and rescue and Wasilla police department (wpd) responded to the accident. Case number ref. # 09-678. Contact info for the wpd investigator is: privacy data omittedmat-su search and rescue floated the aircraft and then towed the aircraft approx. 800 feet over to the boat launch next to the best western hotel. On 5/19/09, ASI privacy data omitted and ASI privacy data omitted performed an on-site accident investigation. The aircraft was still submerged at the boat launch area and the owner was preparing aircraft to be lifted out of the water using a crane. The aircraft was successfully lifted out of the water, drained, and then placed in the parking lot of the best western hotel. The aircraft sustained significant damage to the empennage and tail area due to impacting the water. The lower fwd nose/engine cowlings and exhaust stack were buckled, bent and distorted. The right flap was damaged on the trailing edge. The prop showed no obvious damage. The engine was turned trough by hand and the oil level was confirmed okay. Inside the aircraft was covered with mud and lake debris. All pilot log books, pilot private certificate, pilot medical certificate, certificate of airworthiness, certificate of registration, were lost in the lake and could not be recovered. Further inspection of the heat box surrounding the carb revealed a piece of asbestos material laying in the bottom of the box. The origin of this piece of material was traced to the RH rear engine baffle assembly p/n 21579-00.
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 1140 ADT, PILOT WAS RETURNING TO ANDERSON LAKE STRIP, WASILLA (0AK1). PILOT REDUCED POWER AND WHEN CARB HEAT WAS APPLIED ENGINE DIED. PILOT HAD JUST DONE A TOUCH AND GO AND WAS AT 1700 AGL. THE PILOT TURNED AROUND HOPING TO GLIDE BACK TO WASILLA BUT IT WAS TOO FAR. HE HAD TWO CHOICES - LAND ON THE PARKS HIGHWAY OR ON LAKE LUCILLE. HE CHOSE LAKE LUCILLE. LOCAL BOATERS RESCUED PILOT FROM THE LAKE AFTER LANDING. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON BOARD AND HE WAS NOT INJURED.THE AIRCRAFT LANDED APPROX. 100 YARDS FROM THE SHORE AND CAME TO REST IN WATER APPROX. 6 FEET DEEP. MAT-SU SEARCH AND RESCUE AND WASILLA POLICE DEPARTMENT (WPD) RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT. CASE NUMBER REF. # 09-678. CONTACT INFO FOR THE WPD INVESTIGATOR IS: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^MAT-SU SEARCH AND RESCUE FLOATED THE AIRCRAFT AND THEN TOWED THE AIRCRAFT APPROX. 800 FEET OVER TO THE BOAT LAUNCH NEXT TO THE BEST WESTERN HOTEL.ON 5/19/09, ASI ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ASI ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PERFORMED AN ON-SITE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL SUBMERGED AT THE BOAT LAUNCH AREA AND THE OWNER WAS PREPARING AIRCRAFT TO BE LIFTED OUT OF THE WATER USING A CRANE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUCCESSFULLY LIFTED OUT OF THE WATER, DRAINED, AND THEN PLACED IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE BEST WESTERN HOTEL.THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE EMPENNAGE AND TAIL AREA DUE TO IMPACTING THE WATER. THE LOWER FWD NOSE/ENGINE COWLINGS AND EXHAUST STACK WERE BUCKLED, BENT AND DISTORTED. THE RIGHT FLAP WAS DAMAGED ON THE TRAILING EDGE. THE PROP SHOWED NO OBVIOUS DAMAGE. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED TROUGH BY HAND AND THE OIL LEVEL WAS CONFIRMED OKAY. INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT WAS COVERED WITH MUD AND LAKE DEBRIS. ALL PILOT LOG BOOKS, PILOT PRIVATE CERTIFICATE, PILOT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, CERTIFICATE OF AIRWORTHINESS, CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION, WERE LOST IN THE LAKE AND COULD NOT BE RECOVERED.FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE HEAT BOX SURROUNDING THE CARB REVEALED A PIECE OF ASBESTOS MATERIAL LAYING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX. THE ORIGIN OF THIS PIECE OF MATERIAL WAS TRACED TO THE RH REAR ENGINE BAFFLE ASSEMBLY P/N 21579-00.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N7440P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.