- Date
- September 13, 1991, 16:45 local (Sep 14, 1991, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3290ZPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910913040049A
- Case key
- 5491
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 loss of control in flight due to improper loading of the airplane.
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
According to witness who watched the pilot-in-command and the paassenger load the airplane and takeoff, the cargo area was completely filled up to the ceiling of the airplane and the takeoff roll was short. As soon as the airplane lifted off it rose into the air with a very nose high attitude until reaching 100 feet above the ground. The witness stated that it appeared he was having trouble keeping the nose of the aircraft down. Upon flying past the end of the airstrip it made a steep bank to the right, stabilized for a moment and then rolled inverted, nosed over and dove into the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3290Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7227
- Airframe hours
- 7,240
- Engine
- Lycoming O320-B2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lawrence J. Klebenow
- Registered owner
- Lawrence J. Klebenow
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 23, 1990
- Departed
- Wasilla, AK
- Destination
- Field Site, AK
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 600 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.