- Date
- July 5, 1999, 10:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3676TTaylorcraft F-19
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19990705008179A
- Case key
- 46716
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's diverted attention in the cockpit, and his failure to maintain control of the airplane.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The certificated private pilot departed a remote, 1,000 foot long strip toward the west. About 300 feet above the ground, the pilot said he discovered he had failed to put on his headset. He turned and reached into the back of the airplane to retrieve the headset. During the process of retrieving the headset, the airplane descended into the ground in a wings level attitude. The landing gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded about 75 feet along open ground. The pilot said he was knocked unconscious for a short period of time.
Factual narrative
On July 5, 1999, about 1040 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Taylorcraft F-19 airplane, N3676T, sustained substantial damage after colliding with terrain, about 16 miles south-southeast of Anchorage, Alaska, about latitude 60 degrees, 54.05 minutes north, and longitude 149 degrees, 58.2 minutes west. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on July 6, 1999, the pilot reported he had landed at a remote strip along the Big Indian Creek, adjacent to the Chickaloon Flats area of the Kenai Peninsula. After fishing, he departed the 1,000 foot long strip toward the west. About 300 feet above the ground, the pilot said he discovered he had failed to put on his headset. He turned and reached into the back of the airplane to retrieve the headset. During the process of retrieving the headset, the airplane descended into the ground in a wings level attitude. The landing gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded about 75 feet along open ground. The pilot said he was knocked unconscious for a short period of time.
The airplane received damage to the landing gear, fuselage, and wings. A passing airplane spotted the wreckage, and the pilot was transported to a hospital by helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3676T
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft F-19
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F-084
- Airframe hours
- 644
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William P. Taylor
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1998 · 8 hours before
- Destination
- AK12 · AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 780 total · 750 in this make and model · 728 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.