- Date
- July 27, 1986, 13:28 local (21:28 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N51AAInterstate S-1B2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19860727034979A
- Case key
- 4600
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
Witnesses rprtd that immediately after taking off from the Wasilla lake seaplane base, the acft entered a steep climbing turn. Shortly thereafter, it entered a steep dscnt & crash into the water. There was evidence that the acft entered a stall/spin prior to crashing. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found. Both occupants suffered multiple impact injuries, but according to a post-accident medical exam, both occupants died from drowning.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51AA
- Reported as
- Interstate S-1B2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1002
- Airframe hours
- 686
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jenaro G. Varela
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- Z16
- Airport
- Z16 · Wasilla Lake, runway 24, 4,000 × ft, water
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 207 total · 147 in this make and model · 158 as pilot in command · 114 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.