Taylorcraft F19 accident near Chickaloon, Alaska, August 20, 2005
On August 20, 2005 at about 3:00 am local time, a Taylorcraft F19, registered N3575T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chickaloon, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudged distance and altitude on final approach to land, which resulted in an undershoot and structural damage to the airplane. A factor associated with the accident was a downdraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2005 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Chickaloon, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft F19
- Registration
- N3575T · no longer on the register · serial F-041
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo commercial pilot was approaching to land on a gravel bar adjacent to a river when he noted that his altitude was low, and he added power. He said he then encountered a downdraft, and added full power, but the airplane continued to descend. He said near the ground the uncontrolled descent stopped, but the airplane touched down on rough terrain 200 feet short of the runway. The landing gear collapsed, and the airplane sustained structural damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 378 hours in all; 214 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-DZ (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Chickaloon AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N3575T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.