Piper PA-22 accident near Wasilla, Alaska, October 11, 2002
On October 11, 2002 at about 2:40 am local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N7027D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wasilla, Alaska (Wasilla airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The instructor's inadequate supervision of the pilot-rated dual student, and the dual student's excessive use of brakes during the landing roll, which resulted in the nose over of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2002 · about 2:40 am local time
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska · Wasilla · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N7027D · registry record · serial 22-4921
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor, seated in the right seat, was providing flight instruction/recurrent training to the private pilot, seated in the left seat, in a wheel-equipped airplane converted to a tailwheel configuration. The private pilot had accomplished two successful stop-and-go landings prior to the accident landing. On the third landing, during landing roll on a dry paved runway, the private pilot allowed the airplane to veer slightly to the left of the runway's centerline. The flight instructor attempted to realign the airplane by applying a slight amount of right rudder, the private pilot simultaneously applied heavy braking, and both wheels locked. The airplane subsequently nosed over, and sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The flight instructor noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,944 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 2,508 as pilot in command; 1,998 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 260 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,141.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 26, 2002; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAQ Palmer AK at 9:00 pm
- Destination: IYS Wasilla AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 3,700 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC03LA002.