- Date
- April 16, 2003, 16:05 local (22:05 UTC)
- Place
- West Jordan, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N43591Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20030416004839A
- Case key
- 56834
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 dual student's failure to maintain aircraft control and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student. A contributing factor was the unfavorable wind gust.
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 private pilot receiving instruction was practicing touch-and-go landings. After making a three-point landing, he added power and raised the tail off the ground to takeoff attitude. At 60 mph, he eased back and the airplane lifted off. After climbing about 10 feet, a gust of wind lifted the left wing. The instructor took control and applied full left rudder and aileron. The airplane encountered another wind gust and struck a runway light and sign. The wing spar was broken and the main landing gear was damaged.
Factual narrative
On April 16, 2003, approximately 1605 mountain daylight time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D, N43591, registered to and operated by the flight instructor, was substantially damaged when it collided with an airport taxiway light and sign and terrain during takeoff at Salt Lake City Municipal 2 Airport, West Jordan, Utah. The commercial certificated flight instructor and the private pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the instructional flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at West Jordan approximately 1530.
The following is based on the accident report submitted by the flight instructor. His student, a private pilot, was practicing touch-and-go landings. After making a three-point landing, he added power and raised the tail off the ground to the takeoff attitude. At 60 mph, he eased back and the airplane lifted off. After climbing about 10 feet, a gust of wind lifted the left wing. The instructor took control and applied full left rudder and aileron. The airplane encountered another wind gust and struck a runway light and sign, breaking the wing spar and damaging the right main landing gear.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43591
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7250
- Airframe hours
- 2,886
- Engine
- Continental A-65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joel R. Cunningham
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 14, 2003 · 66 hours before
- Departed
- U42 · West Jordan, UT
- Destination
- U42
- Airport
- U42 · Salt Lake City Municipal 2, runway 34, 5,860 × 100 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- September 18, 2002
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 656 total · 242 in this make and model · 587 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- February 7, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 127 total · 1 in this make and model · 63 as pilot in command · 68 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SLC, 13 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.