Taylorcraft BC12-D N43561
9 April 1989 · Gorham, Maine, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 9 April 1989 at about 21:15 local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D registered N43561, operated by Stephen O. Berry, was involved in an accident near Gorham, Maine, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Gorham, Maine, United States
- Nearest airport
- Webster Airstrip
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Registration
- N43561
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Stephen O. Berry
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Limington → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dawn
- NTSB number
- NYC89LA045
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHEN HE DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION DURING A LOW PASS AND ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO ENTER A STALL/SPIN. THE UNFAVORABLE WIND WAS A FACTOR.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PLT RPRTD HE FLEW TO A NEARBY AIRSTRIP TO WATCH ANOTHER ACFT LAND; HOWEVER, HE (PLT OF N43561) DID NOT PLAN TO LAND. HE SAID HE FLEW AN UPWIND PASS OVER THE STRIP AT APRX 600 TO 700 FT AGL AS HE WATCHED THE OTHER ACFT LAND. THE LOW PASS WAS MADE IN A RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE WHILE USING RUDDER TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE PLT RPRTD THAT AS HE FLEW OVER A GRAVEL PIT NEAR THE STRIP, THE ACFT ENCTRD UNFAVORABLE WIND & NOSED UP. HE PUSHED THE YOKE FOWARD & APPLIED FULL POWER; HOWEVER, THE ACFT BEGAN TO ROTATE (SPIN), THEN IT CRASHED IN A STEEP DSCNT. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Taylorcraft BC12 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Aug 1989 | Taylorcraft BC12-D | Garrettsville, Ohio, United States | Monahan, Daniel W. | Serious injuries | - |
| 21 May 1989 | Taylorcraft BC12-D | Jamestown, Tennessee, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Oct 1988 | Taylorcraft BC12-D | Tehachapi, California, United States | Robert C. Steinbrink | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 1990 | Taylorcraft BC12-D | Ashland, Oregon, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Dec 1990 | Taylorcraft BC12-D1 | North Muskegon, Michigan, United States | Larry G. Glaser | Fatal | 1 |
| 13 Sep 1988 | Taylorcraft BC12-D | Surf City, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jul 1989 | Beechcraft F33A | Waterville, Maine, United States | Richard Sommers | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 1989 | Piper PA-11 | Walpole, Maine, United States | Bernard Paul Risley | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Aug 1989 | Convair CV-600-240D | Augusta, Maine, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Aug 1989 | Cessna 421C | Waterville, Maine, United States | Daniel C.hostetter | No injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 1989 | Enstrom 280C | Milbridge, Maine, United States | Harold Leighton | No injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 1989 | Cessna A185F | Deer Isle, Maine, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |