# NTSB ERA22LA258: Taylorcraft BC12-D1, N44374, Pittsboro, NC, June 3, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: June 3, 2022, 11:15 local (15:15 UTC) - Place: Pittsboro, NC · wheat field - Coordinates: 35.690483, -79.25653 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.6905&lon=-79.2565&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering: Fuel contamination](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 105186 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA22LA258 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/105186/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105186 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA258 ## Probable cause The student pilot, and flight instructor’s, inadequate preflight inspection, during which they failed to detect water contamination in the fuel system, which resulted in a total loss of engine power. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid condition (probable cause); cases with it: [Taylorcraft BC12-D1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=8850320), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Taylorcraft BC12-D1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=8850320), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Taylorcraft BC12-D1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=8850320), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Prior to flight: Aircraft inspection event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050); cases with it: [Taylorcraft BC12-D1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050/sequence.md?model=8850320), [All aircraft, 229 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050/sequence.md) - [Maneuvering: Fuel contamination](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193) (defining event); cases with it: [Taylorcraft BC12-D1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193/sequence.md?model=8850320), [All aircraft, 225 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/193/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Taylorcraft BC12-D1, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=8850320), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot, and his flight instructor, were on a local training flight practicing maneuvers. Shortly after the student transferred fuel from the wing tanks to the main fuel tank, the engine lost all power. Unable to restart the engine, they performed a forced landing to a wheat field. During the landing, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination of the airplane revealed water and corrosion present in the fuel gascolator. The night before the accident the airplane was parked outside, and it had rained. The student pilot reported that as part of his preflight, he drained the sump at the bottom of the engine but did not drain the wing fuel sumps. The flight instructor reported that he was not familiar with the airplane and the location of the fuel sumps. ## Factual narrative On June 3, 2022, about 1115 eastern daylight time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D1, N44374, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Pittsboro, North Carolina. The student pilot and flight instructor were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the flight instructor, they departed on a local area training flight. After flying for about 40 to 50 minutes, while in cruise flight at 2,000 feet mean sea level, the engine stopped producing power. They used the emergency checklist to attempt to restart the engine to no avail. The student pilot performed a forced landing to a wheat field. During the landing rollout, the airplane impacted a rut in the field, flipped over and came to rest inverted. Examination of the airplane revealed the water and corrosion in the fuel gascolator. The airplane was parked outside on the ramp the night before the accident, and it had rained. The student pilot stated that about 5 to 10 minutes before the loss of power he transferred fuel from the wing fuel tank to the main fuel tank. He also reported that during his preflight he drained the fuel sump at the gascolator, but not the wing fuel tanks. The flight instructor stated that he was not familiar with the airplane and the location of the fuel sumps. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N44374](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N44374), registered now, S/N 10174, built 1946 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: TAYLORCRAFT BC12-D1 - Registry model: [Taylorcraft BC12-D1](https://openairdocs.org/model/taylorcraft-bc12-d1) (registry code 8850320) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C65 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (registry code 17003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 10174 - Year built: 1946 - Airframe hours: 1483 - Engines: Continential A&C 65 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 13, 2021, 80 hours before - Departed: TTA, Sanford, NC - Flight plan: VFR - Equipment: Handheld GPS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 58; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 237.25 total, 88.5 in this make and model, 73.5 as pilot in command, 62.5 in the last 90 days, 45 in the last 30 days - Flight instructor; age 58; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 12, 2022; seat: right; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 1,100 total, 8.1 in this make and model, 1,052 as pilot in command, 90 in the last 90 days, 35 in the last 30 days, 4.7 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 340° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 29.86 inHg - Observed at: TTA, 10 nm away - METAR: KTTA 031555Z AUTO 34005KT 10SM CLR 26/18 A2986 RMK AO2 T02620178 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20220603009509A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220603009509A), Jun 3, 2022: Taylorcraft BC12-D1, Pittsboro, NC, Substantial damage. On June 6, 2022, a Taylorcraft with the registration number of[privacy data omitted]was being operated on an instructional flight. The [privacy data omitted],… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105186. 5.3 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 4.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17263041&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB-6120-Report-N44374-Rel.pdf - Flight instructor statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 51 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17146120&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N44374%20Statement%20from%20Andy%20Haupricht_Redacted-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector's statement (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 90 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17202458&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20MOR-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 4, PDF, 4 pages, 951 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17203399&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photos-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.