Yakovlev YAK-54 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, July 26, 1998
On July 26, 1998 at about 7:09 pm local time, a Yakovlev YAK-54, registered N354AM, was destroyed in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate remedial action to recover from an inverted spin, while performing aerobatics. Contributing factors were the lower than recommended entry altitude for a spin and the pilot's lack of familiarity with the accident airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1998 · about 7:09 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Yakovlev YAK-54
- Registration
- N354AM · no longer on the register · serial 02003
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger, flying a Russian built unlimited class aerobatic airplane, joined a second aerobatic airplane for a planned photo flight. The two airplanes flew alongside each other while the passengers took photographs. The photo flight altitudes varied between 2,600 and 3,400 feet msl. After the photo session was completed, the pilot of the accident airplane stated he was going to demonstrate some aerobatic maneuvers to his passenger. During a turn, the pilot of the second airplane momentarily lost sight of the accident airplane. When he regained sight of the accident airplane, he estimated it was between 2,700 to 3,000 feet msl, in what appeared to be an inverted right spin. The spin continued for between 5 to 7 turns until the airplane collided with trees. The accident airplane was being operated in the United States under an experimental/exhibition airworthiness certificate. It has light control forces, and a roll rate of 340 degrees per second. No preimpact mechanical malfunction was found. The pilot was an active U.S. Air Force Lt. General with extensive military experience. He had accrued 16.6 hours in the accident airplane. According to his logbook, he had practiced several aerobatic manuevers in the airplane, including incipient inverted spins, and inverted and upright flat spins. The accident pilot and passenger had previously flown aerobatic airplanes together. The passenger had competed in aerobatic airplanes in the past. He did not have any experience in the accident airplane. The airplane flight manual recommends an altitude of 1,500 meters (4,922 feet) prior to initiating spins.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 5,813 as pilot in command; 631 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 39 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 15, 1998; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,391 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Vendeneyev M-14X (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EDF at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 135°F (57°C), dew point 118°F (48°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:16 pm from EDF, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.