- Date
- May 25, 1990, 18:50 local (May 26, 1990, 02:50 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9288DPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900525017439A
- Case key
- 5293
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of total experience.
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
Several witnesses reported hearing a power reduction from the airplane's engine about a minute after takeoff. The airplane then made a steep turn as if to land back on the lake, then stalled and spun into the water. No mechanical problems were found with the airplane or engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9288D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6594
- Airframe hours
- 2,776
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John E. Roth
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 9, 1990 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- 99Z · Wasilla, AK
- Airport
- 99Z · Finger Lake, runway 26, 5,500 × 500 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 165 total · 89 in this make and model · 90 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 15° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAQ, 5 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.
Other investigations on N9288D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.