- Date
- September 13, 1986, 11:37 local (19:37 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3996PPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19860913044999A
- Case key
- 4609
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
Float plane crashed into trees at end of lake just after takeoff. Witnesses reported hearing the engine backfire and sputter before it quit. Post accident examination of the engine failed to disclose mecanical failures/malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3996P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1804757
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Janet B. Porter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Departed
- Z16 · Wasilla, AK
- Destination
- LHD · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- Z16 · Wasilla Lake Seaplane
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 75 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.