- Date
- March 25, 2023, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hillsboro, MO · grass runway on owner's property
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N43272Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230325003839A
- Case key
- 106963
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees during final approach to landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while on final approach, the right wing of the airplane struck the top of a tree about 40 feet above ground level. This resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control at an altitude too low to allow for recovery. The airplane impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43272
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6931
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 3,516.4
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 2, 2022
- Departed
- KFAM · Farmington, MO
- Destination
- Hillsboro, MO
- Airport
- Private strip on owner's land
- Equipment
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 76
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 13, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 518 total · 27 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- KFAM, 27 nm away
- METAR
- KFAM 252256Z AUTO 30004KT 10SM CLR 16/02 A2985 RMK AO2 SLP118 T01560022
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 27, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.