Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB CEN13FA416
TAYLORCRAFT BC12-65 — Flushing, MI
| Date | July 17, 2013 |
| Location | Flushing, MI |
| Aircraft | TAYLORCRAFT BC12-65 |
| Purpose of flight | Instructional |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 82 |
| Pilot total time | 9,854 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Instructor/check pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Task monitoring/vigilance-Instructor/check pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
What happened
The flight was an instructional flight with a student pilot and a flight instructor onboard. Video evidence from a ground-based source indicated that the airplane was in a nose-high left turn at a moderate bank angle. As the turn progressed, the airplane appeared to pitch down, and the left bank steepened before the airplane left the frame of the video. The location of the camera indicated that the airplane was making a turn in the traffic pattern from the base leg to the final approach.
Examination of the airplane after the accident confirmed continuity of the flight control systems. Engine examination confirmed crankshaft and valve train continuity. Although the magnetos would not produce a spark, impact damage would have prevented normal operation. No preimpact anomalies were detected that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane, engine, or related systems. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the airplane's airspeed diminished during the turn to a point where the airplane stalled and entered a spin.