Taylorcraft BC12-D N96175

Summary

On 10 August 1998 at about 20:40 local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D registered N96175 was involved in an accident near Thomasville, Georgia, United States. One person was 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

10 August 1998 at 20:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Thomasville, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Thomasville Municipal A/P (TVI)

Coordinates

30.8300, -83.9702

Aircraft

Taylorcraft BC12-D

Registration

N96175

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ormond Beach → Hattiesburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL98LA110

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's poor in-flight decision to attempt a forced landing in a field 2 miles from an airport, leading to an on-ground collision with rough terrain. A factor was the pilot's physiological need.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he was 2.5 hours into a 4 hour flight when he felt an urgent need to relieve himself. The pilot stated he decided to land on a road in a cultivated field. The pilot stated after landing, he noticed a post on the left side of the road and maneuvered to miss the post. During this maneuver, the airplane became airborne, and when it touched down a second time, the landing gear collapsed. According to the FAA inspector, the pilot stated he had to relieve himself, so he decided to land on an access road because he didn't see the airport. The pilot then stated that he didn't have enough clearance on the road, and decided to land in the field. The FAA inspector also stated the field was approximately 1 to 2 miles south of Thomasville Municipal Airport. According to the FAA, the airplane touched down on the edge of the field, crossed the access road, and came to rest in another field. When crossing the road, the right main landing gear was sheared off. As the airplane continued to roll, the lower third of the rudder and two fuselage longerons were bent.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.