Taylorcraft F19 accident near Backus, Minnesota, November 8, 2001
On November 8, 2001 at about 2:00 am local time, a Taylorcraft F19, registered N20002, was substantially damaged in an accident near Backus, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper preflight planning/preparation, and his continued flight into known adverse weather conditions. Factors relating to the accident were the pilot becoming lost/disoriented in the weather, visual lookout by the pilot during the descent not possible, the pilot's lack of certification to fly in instrument meteorological conditions, the low ceiling, the fog, and the tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 2001 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Backus, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft F19
- Registration
- N20002 · no longer on the register · serial F-128
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he checked the weather before departing Park Rapids, Minnesota, for his flight to Pine River, Minnesota. He said that the weather was visibility 5 miles and ceiling 1,200 feet. The pilot said, "Encountered clouds/fog enroute, became disoriented, descended into trees." An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. The aviation routine weather report (METAR) for Park Rapids, Minnesota (16 miles northwest of the accident site), 7 minutes before the reported accident time, was few clouds at 500 feet, ceilings of 900 feet broken and 2,400 feet overcast, 8 statute miles visibility, temperature 41 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 39 degrees F, winds 320 degrees at 19 knots with gusts to 22 knots, and altimeter 30.08 inches of Mercury. According to FAA airman records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with single engine land rating.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 10, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,700 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PKD Park Rapids MN
- Destination: PWC Pine River MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 320° at 19 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 900 ft; a few clouds at 500 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from PKD, 16 miles away
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.
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.