Piper PA-11 accident near Willow, AK
On August 25, 2010, a Piper PA-11 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Willow, AK. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 25, 2010
- Place
- Willow, AK
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-11 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 60.505°N, 150.552°W
- NTSB ID
- 20100825X14957
Official records · ANC10FA076
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 24, 2010, about 1945 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-11, N78831, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain about 25 miles southwest of Willow, Alaska. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The private pilot and passenger were killed. The cross-country flight departed from Lake Hood Strip Airport (LZ1), Anchorage, Alaska, about 1915 with an intended destination of Rainy Pass Lodge Airport (6AK), Rainy Pass, Alaska. Two witnesses on a hunting trip were about one mile southeast of the accident site near the bank of the Susitna River when they heard an airplane flying towards their location. One of the witnesses, who was familiar with small airplanes, said that the airplane was flying over the river at less than 100 feet. The witness added that as they watched the airplane fly past their position along the river, there appeared to be nothing wrong with the airplane and that the engine seemed to be running smoothly. About a minute or two after the accident airplane flew past them, they heard a "strange noise" like something had "flapped the water." The witnesses said that earlier in the day, prior to drifting down river in their boat, they had been watching a small moose near the accident site. A digital video recorded by one of the witnesses showed the accident airplane flying in a straight and level attitude over the Susitna River at
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and impact with the ground.
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Browse: Alaska · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
