Taylorcraft BL-65 accident near Wasilla, Alaska, January 14, 2023
On January 14, 2023, a 1941 Taylorcraft BL-65, registered N29886, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Wasilla, 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 failure to remove all water from the fuel tank, which resulted in fuel contamination and a subsequent partial loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2023
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BL-65, built 1941 · all BL-65s on the register
- Registration
- N29886 · registry record · serial 2737
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before the day of the accident, the nose fuel tank cap had been dislodged during a snowstorm, which allowed snow to enter the fuel tank. During preflight inspection, the pilot drained fuel from the fuel tank and discovered water in the fuel. He continued to drain the fuel until no water was visible. The pilot took off and during cruise flight the engine began to run rough so he performed a precautionary landing on a road. He drained fuel from the fuel tank again and once again found water in the fuel. He continued to drain fuel until there was no more sign of water. The pilot’s mechanic responded to the site to assist the pilot. The mechanic drained all of the fuel from the carburetor to ensure there was no water. They started the engine, and it ran normally again so the pilot decided to take off. Shortly after departure from the road, the engine began to run rough again. The pilot landed back on the road. During the landing roll, the right wing impacted a street sign, and the airplane came to rest in a ditch. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed water in fuel samples drained from the gascolator and carburetor. Other than the presence of water, no anomalies were noted with the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during landing
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Fuel contamination during takeoff
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Fuel contamination during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Snow › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2022; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 2,653 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PALH Anchorage AK at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.45 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from PALH, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR PALH 140053Z AUTO 05007KT 10SM BKN055 OVC100 M06/M09 A2945 RMK AO2 SLP975 T10611094 TSNO=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on October 5, 2023. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Engine Examination | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.