What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 19, 1999, at 1430 Alaska daylight time, a Taylorcraft F-19 airplane, N3585T, was substantially damaged when it collided with a parked vehicle while taxiing to takeoff at the lake Hood strip, Anchorage, Alaska. The solo private pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated under 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight to the pilot's cabin on flathorn lake, Alaska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a flight plan was filed with a relative. The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge during an interview on may 21, that while taxiing from parking to the airstrip, utilizing an uncontrolled, combined vehicle road/taxiway, she offset to the right to avoid a pickup truck parked at the edge of the taxiway. The pilot misjudged the clearance, and the airplane's left wingtip contacted the luggage rack of the truck, damaging the rear wing spar. The airplane spun around and dropped into a ditch next to the road. The pilot did not describe any preaccident anomalies with the airplane. No damage occurred to the pickup truck. (-23) on 19 may at approximately 14:35 adt Taylorcraft N3585T, while taxiin g to lake Hood strip for an intended flight to a flat horn lake homestead site struck a pickup truck parked on the north side of the taxiway just west of bianca street in an uncontrolled area. The left wing of the aircraft contacted the left rail of a baggage rack attached to the topper of the truck just inboard of the most outboard wing rib. The fabric was torn and the rear wing spar contacted the truck baggage rail and caused the aircraft to swerve to the left and enter the ditch. The pilot cut the magnetos at this point, but the propeller suffered considerable rock damage when it contacted the opposite ditch bank. Due to the steep angle of the ditch banks in this area the left longeron was buckled just aft of the left gear leg attach point. The boot cowl was buckled at the lower left cabin door hinge point. On contact with the baggage rail of the truck the left aft wood spar was shattered at the outboard rib, the outboard rib was buckled and the left aileron was damaged at the outboard hinge point. (.4) the pilot was taxiing on a 28 feet wide, uncontrolled, asphalt, shared road/taxiway. She attempted to taxi past a pickup truck that was parked on the edge of the road. The pilot said that she saw the truck, but misjudged the clearance from the airplane's left wing. The left wing contacted the truck, the airplane spun around, and the airplane dropped into a 2 feet deep ditch next to the road. The pilot said there were no anomalies with the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 19, 1999, AT 1430 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A TAYLORCRAFT F-19 AIRPLANE, N3585T, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A PARKED VEHICLE WHILE TAXIING TO TAKEOFF AT THE LAKE HOOD STRIP, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. THE SOLO PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT TO THE PILOT'S CABIN ON FLATHORN LAKE, ALASKA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED WITH A RELATIVE. THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE DURING AN INTERVIEW ON MAY 21, THAT WHILE TAXIING FROM PARKING TO THE AIRSTRIP, UTILIZING AN UNCONTROLLED, COMBINED VEHICLE ROAD/TAXIWAY, SHE OFFSET TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID A PICKUP TRUCK PARKED AT THE EDGE OF THE TAXIWAY. THE PILOT MISJUDGED THE CLEARANCE, AND THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WINGTIP CONTACTED THE LUGGAGE RACK OF THE TRUCK, DAMAGING THE REAR WING SPAR. THE AIRPLANE SPUN AROUND AND DROPPED INTO A DITCH NEXT TO THE ROAD. THE PILOT DID NOT DESCRIBE ANY PREACCIDENT ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE PICKUP TRUCK. (-23) ON 19 MAY AT APPROXIMATELY 14:35 ADT TAYLORCRAFT N3585T, WHILE TAXIIN G TO LAKE HOOD STRIP FOR AN INTENDED FLIGHT TO A FLAT HORN LAKE HOMESTEAD SITE STRUCK A PICKUP TRUCK PARKED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE TAXIWAY JUST WEST OF BIANCA STREET IN AN UNCONTROLLED AREA. THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE LEFT RAIL OF A BAGGAGE RACK ATTACHED TO THE TOPPER OF THE TRUCK JUST INBOARD OF THE MOST OUTBOARD WING RIB. THE FABRIC WAS TORN AND THE REAR WING SPAR CONTACTED THE TRUCK BAGGAGE RAIL AND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SWERVE TO THE LEFT AND ENTER THE DITCH. THE PILOT CUT THE MAGNETOS AT THIS POINT, BUT THE PROPELLER SUFFERED CONSIDERABLE ROCK DAMAGE WHEN IT CONTACTED THE OPPOSITE DITCH BANK. DUE TO THE STEEP ANGLE OF THE DITCH BANKS IN THIS AREA THE LEFT LONGERON WAS BUCKLED JUST AFT OF THE LEFT GEAR LEG ATTACH POINT. THE BOOT COWL WAS BUCKLED AT THE LOWER LEFT CABIN DOOR HINGE POINT. ON CONTACT WITH THE BAGGAGE RAIL OF THE TRUCK THE LEFT AFT WOOD SPAR WAS SHATTERED AT THE OUTBOARD RIB, THE OUTBOARD RIB WAS BUCKLED AND THE LEFT AILERON WAS DAMAGED AT THE OUTBOARD HINGE POINT. (.4) THE PILOT WAS TAXIING ON A 28 FEET WIDE, UNCONTROLLED, ASPHALT, SHARED ROAD/TAXIWAY. SHE ATTEMPTED TO TAXI PAST A PICKUP TRUCK THAT WAS PARKED ON THE EDGE OF THE ROAD. THE PILOT SAID THAT SHE SAW THE TRUCK, BUT MISJUDGED THE CLEARANCE FROM THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE TRUCK, THE AIRPLANE SPUN AROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE DROPPED INTO A 2 FEET DEEP DITCH NEXT TO THE ROAD. THE PILOT SAID THERE WERE NO ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.