# NTSB ANC85FA040: Piper PA-12, N2399M, Wasilla, AK, January 25, 1985

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: January 25, 1985, 13:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place: Wasilla, AK
- Location: 61.5785° N, 149.4763° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Wasilla, AK, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.5785&lon=-149.4763&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office
- NTSB case key (mKey): 4394
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC85FA040
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/4394/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC85FA040

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering
  - judgment - poor, pilot in command (cause)
  - aircraft weight and balance - exceeded, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - buzzing - performed, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - aerobatics - performed, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause)
  - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause)
- In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled

## Analysis

WITNESSES OBSERVED THE PLT 'BUZZING' A BUILDING & ROLLING THE ACFT ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS. AFTER THE 3RD PASS, IT ENTERED A STEEP BANK, STALLED & PITCHED DOWN INTO A WOODED AREA. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE ACFT WAS AT LEAST 73 LBS OVER ITS MAX WEIGHT LIMIT. THE CG WAS NOT VERIFIED, BUT THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS FOUND FULL NOSE DOWN & CARGO WAS FOUND IN A POSITION THAT WOULD HAVE MOVED THE CG AFT. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK REVEALED TRACES OF BENZOYLECGONINE & CANNABINOIDS IN THE PLT'S URINE; HOWEVER, NONE WAS FOUND IN HIS BLOOD.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N2399M (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-12
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 12-1515
- Airframe hours: 2670
- Engines: LYCOMING O-320-B2A 160 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Richard Alfred Edlestein
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, July 6, 1984, 40 hours before
- Departed: LHD, ANCHORAGE, AK
- Destination: WASILLA, AK

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 34; private; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: front; toxicology performed; flight hours: 1,032 total, 811 in this make and model, 998 as pilot in command, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 27 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: EDF, 18 nm away

## 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 19850125001599A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850125001599A), Jan 25, 1985: Piper STCPA12, Wasilla, AK, Destroyed. Over gross aircraft buzzed house and stalled into trees. Unrestrained cargo probably shifted to increase aft CG.

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.

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