# NTSB CEN09LA546: Taylorcraft BCS-65, N8023Q, Boulder, CO, August 21, 2009 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 21, 2009, 09:10 local (15:10 UTC) - Place: Boulder, CO - Coordinates: 40.020767, -105.249954 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0208&lon=-105.2500&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 15, 2009 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 74607 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN09LA546 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/74607/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=74607 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09LA546 ## Probable cause A partial loss of engine power during initial climb due to carburetor icing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Temp/humidity/pressure: conducive to carburetor icing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on equipment (probable cause); cases with it: [Taylorcraft BCS-65, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md?model=8850308), [All aircraft, 435 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Fuel related](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190); cases with it: [Taylorcraft BCS-65, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/sequence.md?model=8850308), [All aircraft, 361 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Taylorcraft BCS-65, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=8850308), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the pilot, the engine lost power shortly after takeoff. The pilot performed a forced landing to an adjacent field. During the forced landing the airplane was substantially damaged. An examination of the airplane, conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration, revealed no preaccident anomalies. According to the carburetor icing chart, the meteorological conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. ## Factual narrative On August 21, 2009, approximately 0910 mountain daylight time, a Taylorcraft BCS-65, N8023Q, piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Boulder, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local flight was being conducted under the provision of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The local flight departed Boulder Municipal Airport (KBDU), Boulder, Colorado, approximately 0900. According to the written statement submitted by the pilot, the airplane's engine lost power after taking off from runway 08. She determined that she was not at an altitude sufficient enough to allow for her to return to the airport so she performed a forced landing to an adjacent field. During the forced landing the landing gear "failed." According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector who traveled to the scene, the firewall was wrinkled, both landing gear collapsed, the propeller blades were bent, and the belly of the airplane fuselage was damaged. According to the pilot, she had approximately nine gallons of fuel on board prior to the accident. Law enforcement officials reported that fuel was leaking from the left side of the airplane. Further examination revealed that the right tank was intentionally plugged and was not being utilized as a source for fuel. Approximately four gallons of fuel was recovered from the left tank following recovery of the airplane. The engine was examined and run under the auspices of the FAA. The engine started without hesitation and ran for several minutes without any problems. Further examination of the magnetos revealed no anomalies. The closest official weather observation station was Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC), Denver, Colorado, located nine nautical miles (nm) southeast of the accident site. The weather observation station recorded a temperature between 16 degrees Celsius (C) and 20 degrees C around the time of the accident. Dew point was recorded at 7 and 8 degrees C. A review of the carburetor icing chart revealed conditions were conducive for "serious icing at glide power." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8023Q](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8023Q), registered now, S/N 3135 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: TAYLORCRAFT BCS-65 - Registry model: [Taylorcraft BCS-65](https://openairdocs.org/model/taylorcraft-bcs-65) (registry code 8850308) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 3135 - Airframe hours: 2076 - Engines: Continental A65-8 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, September 10, 2008 - Departed: KBDU, Boulder, CO - Destination: KBDU, Boulder, CO ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 19; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review April 15, 2009; seat: left; flight hours: 338 total, 13 in this make and model, 239 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 70 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 30.19 inHg - Observed at: KBJC, 9 nm away ## 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 20090821015159A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090821015159A), Aug 21, 2009: Tcraft BCS65, Boulder, CO, Substantial damage. (-23) On August 21, 2009, aircraft N8023Q, sn 3135, experienced loss of power during climb at approximately 200' angle and made an emergency landing in a… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 7, 2009, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=74607. 429 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 335 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40319662&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Weather Information (item 2, .PDF, 94 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40319681&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Information-Master.PDF 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.