- Date
- August 9, 2025, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ozark, AR · Near 51AR
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N95356Taylorcraft BC12
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern base: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Little Rock FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250809013629A
- Case key
- 200745
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 a tree which resulted in the right wing impacting the tree and a subsequent collision with trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to operate the airplane at a low altitude over trees.
Findings · 5
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 airplane departed from the backcountry airstrip, located in a national forest, with the intent of repositioning to another nearby backcountry airstrip by a river. Both privately-owned backcountry airstrips are located on the same property. While on the downwind leg, the pilot performed a turn to establish himself on the base leg. During the turn, the right wing impacted a standing dead tree with no leaves. The airplane came to rest on its right side in a forested area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the empennage. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot noted that the accident could have been prevented by operating at a higher altitude and paying more attention to the airplane’s proximity to the trees in the area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N95356
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft BC12 (D)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 09756
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 1,589
- Engine
- Continental Motors A65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2024 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- 51AR · Ozark, AR
- Destination
- 51AR · Ozark, AR
- Airport
- 51AR · Byrds Backcountry Airstrip, runway 07/25, 2,500 × 30 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Onboard weather
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
- 41
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 27, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,713 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 2,662 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KFYV, 29 nm away
- METAR
- KFYV 091353Z 18009KT 10SM CLR 28/22 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP150 T02830217
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 17, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.
Other investigations on N95356 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.