- Date
- July 12, 1982, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9891WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 12, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19820712027339A
- Case key
- 72972
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Pilot had opportunity to refuel and did not. On one flight before accident he successfully made a forced landing due to fuel starvation. He figured he had enough fuel for one more flight. During this flight engine quit and the pilot landed in a ditch alongside a highway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9891W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-23411
- Airframe hours
- 2,621
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul Becker
- Registered owner
- Paul Becker
- Departed
- Talkeetna, AK
- Destination
- Kenai, AK
- Airport
- Wasilla
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 393 total · 247 in this make and model · 292 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.