Taylorcraft BC12-D N96802

Summary

On 20 July 1991 at about 22:00 local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D registered N96802, operated by Bean, Edwin A., was involved in an accident near Mobile, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 July 1991 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Mobile, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Private (NONE)

Coordinates

30.6304, -88.2809

Aircraft

Taylorcraft BC12-D

Registration

N96802

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Bean, Edwin A.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL91FA138

1 person died.

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AND HIS SUBSEQUENT INADVERTENT STALL DURING HIS ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. A FACTOR WAS THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD TAXIED ON THE RUNWAY, AT HIGH SPEED, SEVERAL TIMES. A TAKEOFF WAS THEN MADE, AND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT HAD CLIMBED TO ABOUT 200 FEET, ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TURNED BACK TOWARD THE RUNWAY, ENTERED A NOSE DIVE, AND COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN IN A VERTICAL NOSE DOWN POSITION. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT, WHO WAS NOT A LICENSED MECHANIC, HAD RECENTLY REPLACED THE CARBURETOR. THE FUEL ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS AN AUTOMOTIVE TYPE FUEL, AND NO EVIDENCE OF A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE FOR THE USE OF AUTOMOTIVE FUEL COULD BE FOUND. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF ROTATIONAL DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, AND THE THROTTLE WAS FOUND IN THE IDLE POSITION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.