- Date
- September 4, 1985, 19:00 local (Sep 5, 1985, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3839ZPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19850904045859A
- Case key
- 4575
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
The plt stated that while making a loss pass over a gravel area, he experienced violent sinking due to wind shear. The plt reported the winds were from 240 degs at 25 KTS gusting to 35 KTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3839Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 187593
- Airframe hours
- 1,800
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Len Mackler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 20, 1985
- Departed
- FBK · Fairbanks, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 295 total · 192 in this make and model · 237 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 25 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
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 N3839Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.