What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The Anchorage police department notified FAA investigators at the scene of the accident that the airman who crashed the airplane was considered to be suicidal. The night before the accident the airman contacted his x-wife and threatened to commit suicide in a big way. The Anchorage police were notified of this and contacted the airman who claimed to be doing alright. The next morning December 29, 2015 the airman absconded an airplane (Cessna 172) from the civil air patrol hangar on merrill field at approximately 0600 local time. The airman taxied out to runway 16. Merrill tower was currently closed. The airman departed runway 16 and flew into the lake hood segment without talking to ATC. The airman proceeded west bound over west high school and continued out over the inlet between point mackenzie and downtown Anchorage. At that point the airman circled back towards downtown Anchorage and proceeded to fly the airplane into privacy data omitted. The same building where the airmans x-wife works. No one was inside the office area where the plane hit. The right wing of the aircraft hit the corner of the building and the rest of the aircraft hit privacy data omitted and an electrical transformer on the outside of the building. Which forced authorities to shut down power to the area. Very little debris remained from the aircraft. The fbi took over the investigation as it was clear that the aircraft was stolen from the civil air patrol hangar on merrill field.
As the FAA filed it
THE ANCHORAGE POLICE DEPARTMENT NOTIFIED FAA INVESTIGATORS AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT THAT THE AIRMAN WHO CRASHED THE AIRPLANE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE SUICIDAL. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THE AIRMAN CONTACTED HIS X-WIFE AND THREATENED TO COMMIT SUICIDE IN A BIG WAY. THE ANCHORAGE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED OF THIS AND CONTACTED THE AIRMAN WHO CLAIMED TO BE DOING ALRIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING DECEMBER 29, 2015 THE AIRMAN ABSCONDED AN AIRPLANE (CESSNA 172) FROM THE CIVIL AIR PATROL HANGAR ON MERRILL FIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 0600 LOCAL TIME. THE AIRMAN TAXIED OUT TO RUNWAY 16. MERRILL TOWER WAS CURRENTLY CLOSED. THE AIRMAN DEPARTED RUNWAY 16 AND FLEW INTO THE LAKE HOOD SEGMENT WITHOUT TALKING TO ATC. THE AIRMAN PROCEEDED WEST BOUND OVER WEST HIGH SCHOOL AND CONTINUED OUT OVER THE INLET BETWEEN POINT MACKENZIE AND DOWNTOWN ANCHORAGE. AT THAT POINT THE AIRMAN CIRCLED BACK TOWARDS DOWNTOWN ANCHORAGE AND PROCEEDED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE INTO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE SAME BUILDING WHERE THE AIRMANS X-WIFE WORKS. NO ONE WAS INSIDE THE OFFICE AREA WHERE THE PLANE HIT. THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE CORNER OF THE BUILDING AND THE REST OF THE AIRCRAFT HIT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND AN ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMER ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING. WHICH FORCED AUTHORITIES TO SHUT DOWN POWER TO THE AREA. VERY LITTLE DEBRIS REMAINED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE FBI TOOK OVER THE INVESTIGATION AS IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS STOLEN FROM THE CIVIL AIR PATROL HANGAR ON MERRILL FIELD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.