# NTSB ANC24FA092: Jon Bergstedt JP Flyer, N1202Y, Wasilla, AK, September 14, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report - Date: September 14, 2024, 09:30 local (17:30 UTC) - Place: Wasilla, AK - Coordinates: 61.615712, -149.31137 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.6157&lon=-149.3114&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report September 30, 2026 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, Lycoming - NTSB case key (mKey): 195120 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC24FA092 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/195120/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=195120 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24FA092 ## Probable cause The installation of an improperly sized fuel line that did not allow for adequate fuel flow to the engine, resulting in a partial loss of engine power and collision with trees. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Maintenance: installation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062035): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Jon Bergstedt JP FLYER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062035/cases.md?model=05641EM), [All aircraft, 371 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062035/cases.md) - [Engine fuel and control: fuel control/carburetor](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057322): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Incorrect service/maintenance (probable cause); cases with it: [Jon Bergstedt JP FLYER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057322/cases.md?model=05641EM), [All aircraft, 195 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057322/cases.md) - [Engine fuel and control: fuel control/carburetor](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057322): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Jon Bergstedt JP FLYER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057322/cases.md?model=05641EM), [All aircraft, 195 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057322/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Jon Bergstedt JP FLYER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=05641EM), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240); cases with it: [Jon Bergstedt JP FLYER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05641EM), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241); cases with it: [Jon Bergstedt JP FLYER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=05641EM), [All aircraft, 1,529 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot departed for his first flight in an experimental home-built airplane. Witnesses stated that the engine did not sound like it was producing full power during the takeoff. After the airplane was airborne, one witness saw the airplane’s nose come down and the airplane made a slight left bank to line up with a road before the witness lost sight of the airplane. The airplane impacted a road, that was surrounded by trees, in a near-vertical, nose-down attitude and a postimpact fire began. There was tree debris in the area immediately surrounding the wreckage, there were also branches and debris slightly further from the airplane. Postaccident examination revealed that the fuel supply hose from the carburetor to the gascolator was not the correct size. The braided steel hose was too small and was observed to have a kink that likely restricted fuel flow. Postaccident examination of the wreckage found no evidence of any other preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine, other than the fuel line, that would have precluded normal operation. Because of the fuel line’s size and improper installation, the carburetor was likely not able to supply enough fuel to the engine at full power during the takeoff. Based on the tree debris surrounding the accident site, it is likely that while maneuvering to land on the road, the airplane impacted trees resulting in a loss of control and impact with the road. ## Factual narrative No airframe or engine logbooks were recovered. On September 14, 2024, at 0930 Alaska daylight time, an experimental amateur-built, JP Flyer airplane, N1202Y, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Wasilla, Alaska. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight test. According to a close friend, the accident pilot built the airplane at his home in Anchorage, Alaska, and transported it to Anderson Lake Airport (0AK1) to be assembled in the friend’s hangar. The accident flight was the pilot’s first flight in the airplane. The friend of the pilot, who witnessed the accident, stated the pilot added fuel and started the engine twice, for a leak check and a magneto check, for a total run time of less than 5 minutes. The witness watched the pilot start the engine and taxi to the runway. He stated that, after the airplane took off and while it was over the departure end of the runway, it sounded like the pilot closed the throttle and the engine noise was not as loud as he expected it to be. The airplane continued to climb over the trees, then the nose came down and there was a slight left bank toward the road before the witness lost sight of the airplane. Another witness at the airport reported that, as the airplane began its initial takeoff roll on runway 8, the engine sounded like it was not producing full takeoff power, and the witness initially thought that the pilot was conducting a high-speed taxi. The airplane unexpectedly became airborne, but the witness said the engine sounded unusual, as if it were not producing enough power. Residents who lived nearby reported hearing the engine sputter. The airplane continued to descend into a residential neighborhood about 0.25 miles east of the airport, and it subsequently impacted a paved residential roadway in a near-vertical, nose-down attitude. A postimpact fire immediately followed, which incinerated a large portion of the airplane wreckage. Data from an onboard GPS device revealed that the airplane reached an altitude of about 103 ft above ground level, and a maximum groundspeed of about 53 kts. The pilot was not in communication with air traffic control at the time of the accident and there were no known distress calls received from the airplane. The autopsy of the pilot was performed by the Alaska State Medical Examiner. According to the autopsy report, the cause of death was blunt force and thermal injuries, and the manner of death was accident. Toxicology testing performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory found rosuvastatin and tamsulosin in the pilot's blood and urine. Rosuvastatin is a prescription medication used to treat high cholesterol. Tamsulosin is an alpha blocker used to treat benign prostate hyperplasia. Both of these medications are acceptable for pilots and not known to adversely affect performance. No pilot logbook was recovered. An initial NTSB on-scene wreckage examination revealed that allmajor components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. There was tree debris in the area immediately surrounding the wreckage, there were also branches and debris slightly further from the airplane. The airplane’s fabric covering was consumed by the postimpact fire. The wings were equipped with high-performance PSTOL flaps. The engine was impact- and thermally damaged and was removed from the airframe for further examination. The engine was examined with a lighted borescope and no anomalies were noted in the cylinders or the camshaft. The ignition harness, oil cooler, and oil filter were thermally damaged. The oil suction screen was unobstructed and secure in the oil sump. Both of the electric magnetos remained attached and were thermally damaged. The spark plugs were removed and were in good condition. The carburetor had extensive external and internal thermal damage and was removed for further examination. The foam floats were thermally damaged and blistered. The fuel inlet screen contained a small amount of debris. Fluid was present in the carburetor bowl; it had no color and no odor. It was tested with water finding paste and tested positive for water, likely from the postimpact fire and the wreckage being stored outside. The MA-4-5 carburetor was in its original condition without modifications. The braided steel hose that connected the fuel transducer to the carburetor was non-standard and smaller than a standard fuel hose. The braided steel hose had a kink near the output of the fuel transducer (see figure 1). According to Advisory Circular 90-89C (Amateur-Built Aircraft and Ultralight Flight Testing Handbook), and CFR 23.957, “Fuel Flow”, subpart (b) Gravity systems. The fuel flow rate for gravity system (main and reserve supply) must be 150% of the takeoff fuel consumption of the engine. For the Lycoming O-360 the full power fuel consumption is about 16 gallons per hour(gph), the 150% flow would be 24 gph; the fuel line should have been a minimum of 3/8” fuel line. The fuel line installed measured 7/32”. Figure 1. View of the kink in the braided steel hose from the carburetor to the gasoclator. According to the pilot’s friend the engine was manufactured in the late 1970s. In the early 1990s it was involved in a propeller strike and sat unused until the pilot purchased it for his airplane. Service Bulletin MSA-3 Revision 1, dated November 18, 1991, titled “Overhaul Periods for Float Carburetors,” as issued by Precision Airmotive, LLC, indicated that the accident airplane's carburetor should be overhauled at the engine manufacturer's specified time between overhaul or 10 years in service or since last overhauled, whichever occurs first. The investigation found no airframe or engine logbook entries of compliance with Service Bulletin MSA-3 Rev. 1. There were no airframe or logbook entries of compliance with service letters or airworthiness directives regarding the carburetor. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1202Y](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1202Y), registered now, S/N 2, built 2024 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: JON BERGSTEDT JP FLYER - Registry model: [Jon Bergstedt JP FLYER](https://openairdocs.org/model/jon-bergstedt-jp-flyer) (registry code 05641EM) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360-A2A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-a2a) (registry code 42261, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 2 - Engines: Lycoming O-360 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: 0AK1, Wasilla, AK - Airport: 0AK1, Anderson Lake, runway 08/26, 1,800 × 40 ft, gravel - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 71; injuries: fatal; airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: front; toxicology performed; flight hours: 25,000 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 90° at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 7,000 ft broken - Temperature: 50 °F, dew point 46 °F - Altimeter: 29.75 inHg - Observed at: AWS, 7 nm away - METAR: PAWS 141656Z AUTO 09003KT 10SM BKN070 10/08 A2975 RMK AO2 SLP076 T01000083 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20240914013009A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240914013009A), Sep 14, 2024: Jon Bergstedt JP FLYER, Wasilla, AK, Destroyed, 1 fatal. During our investigation we found the following. Aircraft conformity evaluation was performed and signed off on 13 September 2024. Aircraft records review and… ## Docket (9 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=195120. 11.2 MB in all. - Global positioning system device - specialist's factual report (item 1, PDF, 7 pages, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19788500&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Global%20Positioning%20System%20Device%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report_ANC24FA092-Rel.pdf - Attachment 1 to global positioning system device - specialist's factual report (item 2, CSV, 2 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19788814&FileExtension=csv&FileName=Attachment%201%20to%20Global%20Positioning%20System%20Device%20-%20Specialist%27s%20Factual%20Report_ANC24FA092-Rel.csv - Witness statements (item 3, PDF, 4 pages, 555 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20206386&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Witness%20Statements-Rel.pdf - Airframe and engine examination (item 4, PDF, 19 pages, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20836816&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ANC24FA092%20Airframe%20and%20Engine%20Examination-Rel.pdf - Excerpt from ac 90-89C (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 180 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20659880&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pages%20from%20AC_90-89C-Rel.pdf - Statement of party representatives to NTSB investigation (item 6, PDF, 10 pages, 897 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20182612&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Party%20form_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Toxicological report (item 7, PDF, 1 page, 698 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20251974&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Toxicology%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 8, PDF, 6 pages, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20206396&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photos-Rel.pdf - Video file (item 9, MOV, 3.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20182409&FileExtension=MOV&FileName=IMG_2831-Rel.MOV 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. --- 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.