Wag-Aero SPORTSMAN 2+2 N5045X
27 March 2020 · Wasilla, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 27 March 2020 at about 19:30 local time, a Wag-Aero SPORTSMAN 2+2 registered N5045X was involved in an accident near Wasilla, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Wasilla, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Leisurewood Airstrip (9AK6)
- Coordinates
- 61.6242, -149.6486
- Aircraft
- Wag-Aero SPORTSMAN 2+2
- Registration
- N5045X
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1987
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Wasilla → Skwentna
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC20CA039
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of directional control during takeoff from an icy ski strip in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in the left wing impacting a tree.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that, during takeoff from an icy ski strip, there was a "light variable quartering tailwind from the south west." During the takeoff run, the ski- and tailwheel-equipped airplane veered left, and the pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder. As the airplane became airborne, the left wing struck a tree, and the airplane "swung around" before coming to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the empennage.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Aug 2020 | Piper PA 20 | Talkeetna, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Feb 2020 | Cessna 172 | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Feb 2020 | Cessna 208 | Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States | Grant Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 18 Apr 2020 | Piper PA31 | Buckland, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 2020 | Cessna 172R | Hope, Alaska, United States | Elmendorf Air Force Base Aero Club | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 May 2020 | Grumman G44 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |