- Date
- August 30, 2020, 19:00 local (Aug 31, 2020, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4214HPiper PA 14
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20200830015409A
- Case key
- 101898
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during an attempted go-around in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in impact with trees.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The commercial pilot reported that, he was attempting to land at a private airport in light crosswind conditions. After multiple failed attempts to align the airplane with the runway heading during the landing flare, he initiated a go-around. He subsequently applied power, and the airplane banked abruptly left toward trees at the edge of the runway. When he realized the airplane would not clear the trees, he reduced the power and attempted to level the wings. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the trees and then the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. A pilot-rated witness on the ground at the airport at the time of the accident reported that the wind direction was variable from 030° to 040°, gusting to 20 knots. The owner reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4214H
- Reported as
- Piper PA 14 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14-101
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 4,424
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 19, 2020
- Departed
- PALH · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 0AK1 · Anderson Lake, runway 08, 1,800 × 40 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 24, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 5,200 total · 400 in this make and model · 75 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 11 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.10 inHg
- Observed at
- PAWS, 7 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 8, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4214H · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.