Taylorcraft BC12-D N43766

Summary

On 8 June 2009 at about 19:45 local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D registered N43766 was involved in an accident near Somerville, New Jersey, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 June 2009 at 19:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Somerville, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Somerset Airport (SMQ)

Coordinates

40.6258, -74.6703

Aircraft

Taylorcraft BC12-D

Registration

N43766

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Warrenton → Somerville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09CA336

Nobody was injured.

The loss of directional control during the landing roll due to the separation of the tailwheel centering spring for an undetermined reason.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that after landing on Runway 12, the airplane began to veer to the right. His attempts to maintain directional control were unsuccessful and the airplane departed the right side of the runway, striking a plastic storage container and another airplane that was tied down. The impact damaged the right wing strut. The winds reported at the airport about the time of the accident were from 080 degrees at 5 knots. During a subsequent examination of the wreckage, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found that the forward clevis fitting and attaching hardware were missing from the left hand tailwheel centering spring, which caused the airplane to be uncontrollable. The clevis fitting and attaching hardware were not recovered.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.