# NTSB ANC04LA013: Taylorcraft BC12-D, N44047, Anchorage, AK, December 8, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 8, 2003, 08:56 local (12:56 UTC) - Place: Anchorage, AK - Coordinates: 61.189445, -149.949996 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.1894&lon=-149.9500&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 29, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 58490 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC04LA013 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58490/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC04LA013 ## Probable cause The pilot's misjudged altitude during final approach, which resulted in an undershot landing, and subsequent nose over. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Undershoot, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - distance/altitude - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - terrain condition - snow covered - Nose over, landing - roll ## Analysis The solo private certificated pilot was landing a wheel-equipped airplane during dark night light conditions. The pilot reported that while landing on a lighted, 2,200 foot long by 70 foot wide snow-covered, gravel airstrip, he inadvertently touched down in the overrun area, about 50 feet short of the runway's threshold. As the airplane's main wheels touched down in the deep snow that covered the overrun area, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained structural damage to the rudder. ## Factual narrative On December 8, 2003, about 0856 Alaska standard time, a wheel-equipped Taylorcraft BC12-D airplane, N44047, sustained substantial damage when it landed short of the runway, and nosed over in deep snow at the Lake Hood Airstrip, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo private certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the accident airstrip about 0840. During a brief on-scene conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on December 8, about 0915, the pilot reported that while landing on runway 31, a lighted, 2,200 foot long by 70 foot wide snow-covered, gravel airstrip, he inadvertently touched down in the overrun area, about 50 feet short of the runway's threshold. He said that as the airplane's main wheels touched down in the deep snow that covered the overrun area, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained structural damage to the rudder. During a follow-up telephone interview with the NTSB IIC on December 9, the pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane, but added that the runway overrun area appears to have been elevated and sloped towards the runway threshold. He said that the deep snow covering the overrun area added to its overall height. The accident occurred during dark night light conditions; civil twilight for Anchorage began at 0858. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Compliance Safety Officer, there were no landing approach obstructions to runway 31 at the time of the accident. A copy of the FAA Safety Officer's report is included in the public docket for this accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N44047](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N44047), registered now, S/N 9847, built 1946 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Taylorcraft BC12-D - Registry model: [Taylorcraft BC12-D](https://openairdocs.org/model/taylorcraft-bc12-d) (registry code 8850316) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-200-A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-a) (registry code 17191, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 9847 - Airframe hours: 6501.1 - Engines: Continental O-200-A 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Hermann & Heddi Ruess - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, September 22, 2003, 29.1 hours before - Departed: Z41, Anchorage, AK - Destination: Z41, AK - Airport: Z41, Lake Hood Airstrip, runway 31, 2,200 × 75 ft, gravel ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 41; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review May 13, 2002; seat: left; flight hours: 1,027 total, 123 in this make and model, 928 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 40° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 23 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20031208033749A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031208033749A), Dec 8, 2003: Tcraft BC12D, Anchorage, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) While practicing touch and go landings, the pilot landed short of runway 31 at Z41 in more than 1 foot of snow. The aircraft stopped abruptly nosing over… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.