- Date
- April 16, 2005, 12:38 local (18:38 UTC)
- Place
- Englewood, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N39230Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20050416006639A
- Case key
- 61335
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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and his failure to maintain directional control during landing. Contributing factors were crosswind weather conditions and a lack of familiarity with the aircraft.
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 stated that he was cleared for landing on runway 28, encountered a strong crosswind during the landing flare, and lost directional control of the aircraft. He drifted left off the side of the runway, continued into a ditch, and nosed over. The pilot reported the wind from 040 degrees at 4 knots, and gusting at 350 degrees at 12 knots. The pilot attributes his loss of control to unfamiliarity in the aircraft.
Factual narrative
On April 16, 2005, at 1238 mountain daylight time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D, single engine conventional landing gear airplane, N39230, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it departed the side of the runway and nosed over during landing roll at Centennial Airport (APA), Englewood, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal cross-country flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated at Brush, Colorado, at approximately 1130 MDT.
The pilot stated that he was cleared for landing on runway 28. He encountered a strong crosswind during the landing flare and he lost control of the aircraft. He drifted left off the side of the runway, continued into a ditch and nosed over. The pilot said aircraft sustained a broken right wing spar, bent rudder, bent prop, and a dented cowl. According to the Pilot Aircraft Accident Report ( NTSB Form 6120.1/2), Recommendations (How could this accident have been prevented?), the pilot reported, "more aircraft familiarity."
According to witnesses the airplane touched town on its main landing gear and bounced into the air. The pilot "seemed to overcorrect" as he attempted to regain control of the airplane. The airplane touched down a second time on its main landing gear and then it veered to the left. The airplane departed the left side of runway 28 and nosed over.
At 1253, APA (elevation 5883 feet MSL) reported weather conditions with winds of 030 degrees at 7 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; sky condition, few at 5,000 feet; temperature, 16 degree C.; dew point, 4 degrees C.; altimeter setting, 30.19.
The pilot said the winds were at 040 degrees at 4 knots, gusting at 350 degrees at 12 knots; ceiling scattered at 7000 feet AGL; temperature 22 degrees C, dewpoint 12 degrees C; altimeter setting 29.83 .
Aircraft
- Registration
- N39230
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6484
- Airframe hours
- 1,394
- Engine
- Continental A75-8, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James A Bilello
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 7V5 · Brush, CO
- Destination
- APA · Englewood, CO
- Airport
- APA · Centennial, runway 28, 4,800 × 75 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,560 total · 5 in this make and model · 1,310 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- APA
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 N39230 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.