Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wasilla Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wasilla, Alaska 99654
Monday, April 19, 2004 15:30 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The owner/student pilot was receiving a 90-day flight currency check from a flight instructor. The student pilot reported that an annual inspection of the airplane had just been completed. He said he performed an engine run-up, taxied to the active runway, and maneuvered the airplane into takeoff position. Shortly after he initiated the takeoff roll, the airplane began to pull to the left. He indicated he applied right rudder, but could not prevent the airplane from continuing to the left. At an airspeed of about 35 to 40 mph, he applied right aileron, and lifted the left main wheel off the ground. The airplane began to track to the right, but when he lowered the left wheel to the ground, the airplane veered sharply to the left and departed the left side of the runway. The airplane collided with a ditch and received damage to the propeller, the left main landing gear strut, and structural damage to the left wing. Following the accident, the student pilot/owner said that a mechanic briefly examined the left wheel and left brake. The mechanic did not discover a mechanical malfunction at that time. A METAR at the time of the accident was reporting calm wind conditions.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student pilot which resulted in a loss of directional control during the takeoff roll, and subsequent collision with a ditch. A factor contributing to the accident was the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/19/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Wasilla |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99654 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | -- |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 613418N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1493225W |
| Event Location Airport | Wasilla |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PAWS |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 354 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1536 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAWS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 354 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 11000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.79 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16213 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 20 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1110 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2004 1:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-AL-ANC FSDO 03 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8529E |
| NTSB Number | ANC04LA041 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Champion |
| Aircraft Model | 7GC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7GC-88 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1650 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 3 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 1996 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Thomas C. Covington |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Palmer |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99645 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | PAWS |
| Departure City | Wasilla |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1530 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - roll/run |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 16 2004 3:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PETL |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 3700 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |