Taylorcraft F19 accident near Tracy, California, May 29, 1997
On May 29, 1997 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Taylorcraft F19, registered N3937T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tracy, California (Tracy airport). 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 inadequate compensation for a crosswind gust, and his failure to maintain runway alignment after encountering the wind gust.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 1997 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tracy, California · Tracy · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft F19
- Registration
- N3937T · no longer on the register · serial F-120
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings on runway 29. During the landing flare at 15 feet above the surface, a wind gust was encountered from 340 degrees at 20 knots. The pilot reported that the airplane yawed 45 degrees left, and the gust pushed the airplane off the runway. The pilot applied full engine power to recover; however, directional control was lost. The airplane exited the left side of the runway and collided with a fence.
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: 304 hours in all; 76 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 127 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,065 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 15, 1996; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TCY at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 3,680 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- 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 N3937T 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.