Piper PA28 accident near Wasilla, Alaska, July 10, 2019
On July 10, 2019 at about 1:00 am local time, a 1967 Piper PA28, registered N4245J, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Wasilla, Alaska (Anderson Lake airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent hard landing, runway excursion, and collision with a sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2019 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska · Anderson Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 140, built 1967 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N4245J · no longer on the register · serial 28-22600
- 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 the landing flare, the airplane stalled and then fell the final 3 to 5 ft to the runway and landed hard. Subsequently, the nose landing gear tire "blew out," which resulted in the mounting framework collapsing. The airplane then veered right and exited the runway, and the right wing impacted a runway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing defining event
- Hard landing during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 250 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 250 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 29, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,902.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 28, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 E2A (piston); 3,903 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0AK1 Wasilla AK
- Destination: 0AK1 Wasilla AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 1,800 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 6, 2019. 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 Photo | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.