- Date
- April 12, 1990, 20:15 local (Apr 13, 1990, 04:15 UTC)
- Place
- Knik Clacier, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4904MPiper PA-11
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900412009129A
- Case key
- 5351
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
A foreign object (tool) had jammed the aileron controls to the right as the pilot was maneuvering the aircraft for a low approach to a strip.
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 pilot elected to make a low approach over a gravel bar before landing. He stated that while rolling out of a turn, the elevator control jammed to the right. Subsequently, the airplane spiraled to the terrain, then crashed. An examination revealed that a set of channel locks had slipped under the floor board and into the flight controls.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4904M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-11
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11426
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stanley Wick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 21, 1989 · 18 hours before
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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 482 total · 322 in this make and model · 482 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 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.