Taylorcraft BC12-D N43778

Summary

On 12 December 1998 at about 20:30 local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D registered N43778 was involved in an accident near Greenville, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 December 1998 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Greenville, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Greenville Municipal (4G1)

Coordinates

41.3991, -80.3797

Aircraft

Taylorcraft BC12-D

Registration

N43778

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC99FA037

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during touch-and-go landing, and his failure to maintain obstacle clearance. A factor was the tree.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness reported that the student pilot had been in the traffic pattern for 15 - 20 minutes during his second flight of the day. A second witness, who was in the pattern at the time of the accident, reported seeing the aircraft touch down in a grassy landing area to the right of, and parallel to, paved runway 15. It then veered left, crossed runway 15, and continued towards a large briar patch and an intersecting turf runway, during which the aircraft entered a steep, climbing left turn. The witness reported that he then observed the aircraft nose drop, and 'go over.' A third (ground) witness reported seeing the aircraft cross over the briar patch and make a climbing left turn which was described as 'not excessively steep', and with the angle of bank of at least 25 degrees. This was followed by the aircraft leveling off, and then impacting trees. This witness reported the winds as calm. On site examination revealed that the aircraft first encountered trees approximately 10 feet below the 70 foot high tops, and the wreckage distribution progressed toward 030 degrees magnetic to ground impact. There was no evidence of pre-impact control or engine malfunction. The student pilot had 109 total flight hours. He had some initial flight training in 1944, then began flying again in 1995.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.