Piper PA-28-140 accident near Wasilla, Alaska, July 12, 1982
On July 12, 1982 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N9891W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wasilla, Alaska (Wasilla airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 1982 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska · Wasilla
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N9891W · registry record · serial 28-23411
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT HAD OPPORTUNITY TO REFUEL AND DID NOT. ON ONE FLIGHT BEFORE ACCIDENT HE SUCCESSFULLY MADE A FORCED LANDING DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. HE FIGURED HE HAD ENOUGH FUEL FOR ONE MORE FLIGHT. DURING THIS FLIGHT ENGINE QUIT AND THE PILOT LANDED IN A DITCH ALONGSIDE A HIGHWAY.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 393 hours in all; 247 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 292 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,621 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 107 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Talkeetna AK at 1:30 pm
- Destination: Kenai AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 ANC82DAG35.