Fairchild PT-19A accident near Colorado Springs, Colorado, August 8, 2009
On August 8, 2009 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Fairchild PT-19A, registered N54804, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Colorado Springs, Colorado (Meadow Lake Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to avoid an aerodynamic stall during a high-density altitude takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2009 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Colorado Springs, Colorado · Meadow Lake Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild PT-19A · all PT-19As on the register
- Registration
- N54804 · no longer on the register · serial 6543AE
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed Runway 33 (6,000 feet by 60 feet, asphalt, with a slight upslope). Witnesses reported that the airplane "never got more than about 50 feet in the air". The airplane then impacted terrain and came to rest just beyond the departure end of the runway. Fuel was present at the site and the airplane's engine and right wing had been torn from the fuselage during the accident, resulting in substantial damage. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the accident site stated that the airplane's wooden propeller was in "splinters" and that there "didn’t appear to be any control problems". The density altitude was calculated to be 9,590 feet. The pilot failed to submit the requested NTSB form 6120.1, Pilot/Operator Accident/Incident Report.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb defining event
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 99 hours in all; 99 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Fairchild 6-440 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 00V Colorado Springs CO
- Destination: 00V Colorado Springs CO
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 33, 6,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from KCOS, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN09CA505.