Taylorcraft DCO-65 accident near Tracy, California, July 3, 2009
On July 3, 2009 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Taylorcraft DCO-65, registered N51459, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Tracy, California (Tracy Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2009 · about 7:30 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Tracy, California · Tracy Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft DCO-65 · all DCO-65s on the register
- Registration
- N51459 · no longer on the register · serial L-5784
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during takeoff, the airplane seemed to "lose lift" and he observed the engine rpm at 1,800 rpm instead of 2,500 rpm. He verified the magneto switch position, mixture, and throttle settings were in their normal position. He stated that the airplane was not holding altitude and he initiated a forced landing to the southern edge of a canal. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard on the northern edge of the canal, bounced, and came to rest in the canal. Canal Water Authority personnel reported the wreckage of the airplane was not located and is presumed to have drifted downstream.
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 initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 75 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 750 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 3, 2008
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TCY Tracy CA at 7:30 pm
- Destination: Tracy CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 4,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from SCK, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 15, 2009. 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 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N51459: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Taylorcraft DCO-65 195 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Taylorcraft 1,896 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES · as the NTSB recorded it
- Tracy Municipal · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,094 in the last ten years
- California 28,286 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR09LA330.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.