Amateur-built ISAAK SUPER CUB accident near Sterling, Alaska, February 28, 2013
On February 28, 2013 at about 7:10 pm local time, a amateur-built ISAAK SUPER CUB, registered N130Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Sterling, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2013 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Sterling, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ISAAK SUPER CUB
- Registration
- N130Z · registry record · serial 01
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness familiar with the accident airplane stated that the pilot would typically make a low pass after a flight to let friends or family members know he was back. Due to injuries sustained in the accident, the pilot was unable to remember anything about the accident. According to the passenger, the pilot was making a second low pass over friends just before the accident. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying very slowly, about 300 feet above the ground, with the engine at a low power setting. The airplane’s right wing dipped and it subsequently entered a near vertical spiraling descent, collided with a tree and came to rest in a snow bank. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, lift struts, and fuselage. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomaly was discovered during the postaccident examination of the airplane and engine. Given the lack of evidence of any mechanical problems, the passenger and witness’s account of the accident, along with the airplane’s near vertical descent, it is likely that the pilot inadvertently stalled the airplane at low altitude and was unable to recover.
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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Sterling AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.34 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PAEN, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC13LA026.