Taylorcraft BC-12D N36322

Summary

On 27 May 2002 at about 18:50 local time, a Taylorcraft BC-12D registered N36322 was involved in an accident near Roxbury, New York, 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

27 May 2002 at 18:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Roxbury, New York, United States

Coordinates

42.2833, -74.5647

Aircraft

Taylorcraft BC-12D

Registration

N36322

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bloomsburg → Freehold

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC02LA103

Nobody was injured.

The airplane encountering an unanticipated downdraft that exceeded the climb performance of the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and passenger boarded the airplane, and departed. About 2 hours into the flight and approximately 15 minutes from the pilot's planned destination, the airplane encountered a downdraft. When the airplane entered the downdraft, indicated air speed (IAS) was between 85 and 95 mph, and the airplane was approximately 600 feet above an approaching ridge. The pilot applied full throttle, and slowed the airplane to its best rate-of-climb airspeed. With the engine operating at full power, the pilot was unable to arrest the descent. The airplane continued to descend until it impacted trees. The pilot did not encounter any turbulence or other downdrafts before the accident. Winds aloft were forecasted to be approximately 6 knots for 3,000 feet, and thunderstorms were forecasted to begin about 1700. Before the accident, the pilot saw a possible thunderstorm about 20 miles to the northwest of the accident site.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.