Pilot flips plane; investigation under way

PALMER — The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a plane crash that happened Saturday near Eklutna Tailrace.

According to the NTSB’s preliminary report, how exactly the plane came to be upside down on the mud flats or where it went afterward is still unclear, but there are plenty of stories to go around.

The plane in question comes up registered to Edwin K. Stoltenberg of Palmer. But aviation authoritis have identified the pilot as Edwin A. Stoltenberg, the 26-year-old son of the plane’s owner.

The younger Stotenburg told investigators four hours after the crash that he’d flown to the area from the Wolf Lake Airport. He said he landed the Piper PA-18-135 Super Cub on the flats and was trying to turn around when a gust of wind picked up the plane’s tale and flipped it over.

“He said the airplane sustained no damage during the nose over, and shortly after the accident he and some friends were able to right the airplane, and he flew it back to the Wolf Lake Airport,” the report states.

Investigators said they asked Stoltenberg for the date he was medically certified to fly a plane and the pilot said he was a certified student pilot but he didn’t have his wallet and wasn’t sure of the date.

Next, investigators spoke to an Alaska State Trooper who told them witnesses had reported seeing the plane skid across the water on its wheels before rolling over. He said that when he got to the scene, the plane had been pulled from the crash site and hidden in trees and brush.

The next day investigators talked to a witness who said he and his family watched the plane do touch-and-goes from his campsite.

“He and family members were camped on the beach next to the tidal flats when, according to the witness, the airplane was first seen flying recklessly, and very close to the water,” the report states.

The witness gave investigators a few short video clips of the plane just before the accident and just after. He told them the plane hit a sandbar while landing and flipped.

“When the witness arrived at the accident site to check on the condition of the pilot, Stoltenberg told the witnesses, in part: “Don’t call the cops.” The witness said that about 45 minutes after the accident, a group of people arrived on site and turned the airplane over using an all terrain vehicle, then towed the airplane into the brush, out of sight, then left the area, the report states.

“According to the FAA, Stoltenberg did not possess a current medical certificate or a student pilot’s certificate at the time of the accident,” the NTSB reports.

The NTSB said it checked with the Federal Aviation Administration and found that the pilot’s medical certification had been denied because he had two prior drunken driving convictions on his record.

Court records show Stoltenberg with a number of criminal cases, including multiple drunken driving convictions.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.