- Date
- October 22, 1998, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Duluth, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N95196Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981022029989A
- Case key
- 45409
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 inadequate airspeed by the pilot-in-command. Contributing factors were the gusts and the trees.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the winds were increasing while performing takeoff and landings. He stated that on climb out, he experienced a wind shear that placed him into the tree tops of a pine forest. Postaccident investigation revealed no anomalies with the aircraft.
Factual narrative
On October 22, 1998, at 1500 central daylight time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D Float, N95196, piloted by a private pilot, received substantial damage on impact with trees during climb. The pilot reported encountering wind shear or gusts while performing a series of take-off and landings. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The local flight departed Sky Harbor Airport, Duluth, Minnesota, at 1300, to practice take off and landings at Fredenberg Lake, Duluth, Minnesota.
In a written statement, the pilot reported that the winds were increasing while performing takeoff and landings on Fredenberg Lake. He stated that on climb out, at an airspeed of 75 mph over the southwestern shore, he experienced a wind shear that placed him into the tree tops of a pine forest. The pilot stated that the aircraft slid down the trees, landed tail first, and then came to rest on the tail and left wing tip. The pilot further reported that he should have landed when he first noticed gusty conditions.
Postaccident investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed no anomalies with the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N95196
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Earl K Johnson
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
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Wind
- 280° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DLH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.