Taylorcraft BC-12D N4459P

Summary

On 31 August 1997 at about 16:50 local time, a Taylorcraft BC-12D registered N4459P, operated by William J. Gruenthal, was involved in an accident near Gerlach, Nevada, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 August 1997 at 16:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Gerlach, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Fly Ranch (NONE)

Coordinates

40.8606, -119.3204

Aircraft

Taylorcraft BC-12D

Registration

N4459P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

William J. Gruenthal

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Stead → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX97LA308

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while attempting a right slip, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aircraft collided with the runway and drug the right wing tip during a landing attempt. The aircraft then ground looped to the right off the runway. The pilot stated that the airplane had insufficient power to compensate for an increased sink rate on short final. A witness on the ground saw the wings rocking from side to side when the aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 40 feet, followed by a sudden veer to the left and an increase in sink rate prior to impact with the ground. The passenger, who was not a pilot, reported that 'we were crabbing and I thought he [the pilot] was pulling out' just prior to the ground collision.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.