Wsk-Mielec AN-2TD accident near Wilton, California, October 14, 2021
On October 14, 2021 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1969 Wsk-Mielec AN-2TD, registered N857PF, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Wilton, California (Alta Mesa Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inability to control the airplane’s pitch during departure for reasons that could not be determined because of the extensive fragmentation and thermal damage the airplane sustained in the accident sequence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 2021 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wilton, California · Alta Mesa Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Wsk-Mielec AN-2TD, built 1969
- Registration
- N857PF · no longer on the register · serial 1G10857
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the departure started normally but that, after becoming airborne, the airplane controls were not responding to his inputs as expected. The airplane continued to pitch up in a nose-high attitude and he was unable to push the control yoke forward, which he described as feeling like he was “stretching” cables with forward pressure. With the airplane’s pitch uncontrollable, he elected to make a rapid maneuver toward an unpopulated area. The airplane descended into trees; after coming to a stop, a fire erupted. A postaccident examination of the flight control system revealed no definitive evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. Because the elevator system was extensively damaged and was partially consumed by fire, the investigation was not able to determine the cause of the pitch control anomaly. The airplane’s weight and center of gravity (CG) could not be confirmed. The burned remains of items found in the airplane could not be identified and the location of those items at impact could not be confirmed.
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 takeoff defining event
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,811 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 83 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 8,737 as pilot in command; 4,307 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 2, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,500 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 10, 2021; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,000 lb
- Seats: 12
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Asz ASz-62Ir (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: Reno NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16/3, 2,600 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KSAC, 15 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSAC 142253Z 33011KT 10SM CLR 25/M03 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP173 T02501028
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on October 19, 2023. 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 | Video Study | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Records of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Supplemental Materials | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Article About Takeoff in an AN-2 | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Video 1 | video | View Download |
| 8 | Video 2 | MOV file | 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.