Piper PA-32R accident near Wasilla, Alaska, October 24, 2008
On October 24, 2008 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R, registered N1392H, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Wasilla, Alaska (South Hollywood Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power in flight due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel management.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 2008 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska · South Hollywood Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R · all PA-32Rs on the register
- Registration
- N1392H · no longer on the register · serial 32R-7780156
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot began his preflight inspection of his airplane for a local personal flight by rocking the wings, and he heard fuel sloshing in the wing fuel tanks. After starting the engine, the pilot noted that the left fuel gauge was indicating about 10 gallons and the right tank was indicating about 15 gallons. The pilot indicated that he taxied the length of the runway before takeoff and made a 180-degree right turn at the end while adding engine power for the takeoff run. About 100 feet above the ground, the engine began to lose power and the pilot switched to the right fuel tank, but the engine did not restart before the airplane descended into trees and impacted the ground. The pilot said that after the accident he noticed that the left wing fuel tank contained about 3 gallons and the right tank contained about 10 to 15 gallons. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the pilot thought that he may have starved the engine of fuel since the left tank only had about 3 gallons of fuel in it.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel starvation during initial climb defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,800 hours in all; 2,700 in this make and model; 360 in the last 90 days; 130 in the last 30 days; 6,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 29, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,954 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 25, 2008; 109 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 67AK Wasilla AK at 10:30 am
- Destination: PAMR Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 2,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.