Piper PA 14 accident near Wasilla, Alaska, August 31, 2020
On August 31, 2020 at about 3:00 am local time, a 1947 Piper PA 14, registered N4214H, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Wasilla, Alaska (Anderson Lake airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during an attempted go-around in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in impact with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2020 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska · Anderson Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 14 No Series, built 1947 · all PA 14s on the register
- Registration
- N4214H · registry record · serial 14-101
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that, he was attempting to land at a private airport in light crosswind conditions. After multiple failed attempts to align the airplane with the runway heading during the landing flare, he initiated a go-around. He subsequently applied power, and the airplane banked abruptly left toward trees at the edge of the runway. When he realized the airplane would not clear the trees, he reduced the power and attempted to level the wings. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the trees and then the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. A pilot-rated witness on the ground at the airport at the time of the accident reported that the wind direction was variable from 030° to 040°, gusting to 20 knots. The owner reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,200 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 24, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,424 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 19, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PALH Anchorage AK at 2:30 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 1,800 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 11 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.10 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from PAWS, 7 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N4214H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ANC20LA086.