Wag-Aero Sportsman 2+2 accident near Wasilla, Alaska, March 27, 2020
On March 27, 2020 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1987 Wag-Aero Sportsman 2+2, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N5045X, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Wasilla, Alaska (Leisurewood Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control during takeoff from an icy ski strip in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in the left wing impacting a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2020 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska · Leisurewood Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Wag-Aero Sportsman 2+2, built 1987, amateur-built
- Registration
- N5045X · registry record · serial 42
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during takeoff from an icy ski strip, there was a "light variable quartering tailwind from the south west." During the takeoff run, the ski- and tailwheel-equipped airplane veered left, and the pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder. As the airplane became airborne, the left wing struck a tree, and the airplane "swung around" before coming to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the empennage.
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
- Other weather encounter during takeoff
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 980 hours in all; 490 in this make and model; 880 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 7, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,069.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 3,000 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9AK6 Wasilla AK
- Destination: Skwentna AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 1,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 13 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.69 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from PAWS, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 21, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Picture | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N5045X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.