What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 15, 2012, at 14:50 CDT a Taylorcraft BC-12D, N43635 impacted a soybean field while conducting an emergency landing approximately 2 miles north of Marion, Arkansas. The engine lost power at a low altitude and the flight instructor turned steeply back toward a soybean field to land. The instructor pilot failed to get the wings level before contacting the ground, resulting in both wing tips contacting the ground due to the airplane rolling left and right after touchdown and the left main wheel broke off. The right wing leading edge sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot/flight instructor and student pilot sustained minor injuries and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The aircraft was being operated as an instructional flight under 14 CFR parts 61/91 when the accident occurred. The flight originated in memphis, Tennessee, at the general dewitt spain airport (M01) at 14:30 CDT. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a flight plan was not filed.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 15, 2012, AT 14:50 CDT A TAYLORCRAFT BC-12D, N43635 IMPACTED A SOYBEAN FIELD WHILE CONDUCTING AN EMERGENCY LANDING APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES NORTH OF MARION, ARKANSAS. THE ENGINE LOST POWER AT A LOW ALTITUDE AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TURNED STEEPLY BACK TOWARD A SOYBEAN FIELD TO LAND. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT FAILED TO GET THE WINGS LEVEL BEFORE CONTACTING THE GROUND, RESULTING IN BOTH WING TIPS CONTACTING THE GROUND DUE TO THE AIRPLANE ROLLING LEFT AND RIGHT AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL BROKE OFF. THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT/FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PARTS 61/91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, AT THE GENERAL DEWITT SPAIN AIRPORT (M01) AT 14:30 CDT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.