- Date
- February 20, 1988, 14:25 local (20:25 UTC)
- Place
- Big Spring, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N29779Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 9, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880220002949A
- Case key
- 22541
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 was on a local pleasure flight practicing aerobatic maneuvers in the vicinity of the airport. Witnesses thought the pilot was entering the pattern for landing at the completion of the aerobatic practice. They noted a power reduction after which the aircraft assumed an approximate 45 degrees nose down attitude that continued until it collided with the ground. Post mortem studies showed marked atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with significant three vessel coronary artery disease. Both the pathologist and the participating FAA assistant regional flight surgeon considered that the pilot probably had a sudden severe inflight incapacitation in this instance.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29779
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2627
- Airframe hours
- 2,493
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Edward Hart
- Registered owner
- Edward Hart
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 1987 · 39 hours before
- Airport
- Edwards Ranch Prvt Strip, runway 19, 520 × ft
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,870 total · 125 in this make and model · 5,610 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MAF, 28 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.
Other investigations on N29779 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.