NTSB report details fatal Trapper Creek plane crash

WASILLA — A pilot who died in a July 2015 plane crash made three low passes over a wedding reception, the third time clipping a tree and plunging to the ground.

On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board released a probable cause report on the crash that killed Michael Zagula, 54, on July 19. The board found the cause of the crash was Zagula’s decision to fly too low, and cited the following regulation in its summary: “No person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes: over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, at an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.”

In an online dispatch about the crash, Alaska State Troopers said the wedding reception was being held for Zagula’s daughter.

The investigation also found traces of THC and Diezepam in Zagula’s blood, but said it could not determine whether the presence of the drugs contributed to the crash.

“The investigation was unable to determine if the pilot was impaired from the effects THC or the combined effects of THC and diazepam at or around the time of the accident,” said the report, which is available at ntsb.gov.

Witnesses who attended the wedding reception told investigators Zagula made a pair of treetop-level passes over the wedding reception party at a speed of about 115 to 140 MPH. On a third flyover, the six-seat Cessna U206G reportedly started to climb just before striking the top of a spruce tree with its landing gear. A witness said the plane continued to climb for several seconds before rolling over and disappearing into the trees.

The report said Zagula died of blunt force injuries. The accident occurred under clear skies with temperatures in the low 70s.