Taylorcraft BC12-D1 N44362

Summary

On 11 October 2009 at about 00:00 local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D1 registered N44362, operated by Gordon R. Last, was involved in an accident near Skokomish, Washington, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 October 2009 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Skokomish, Washington, United States

Coordinates

47.3400, -123.1844

Aircraft

Taylorcraft BC12-D1

Registration

N44362

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Gordon R. Last

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Westport → Snohomish

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10FA223

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees while flying over hilly, forested terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After refueling his airplane in the early afternoon, the pilot departed to a destination unknown to anyone else. When he did not return, he was reported missing and a search ensued for the airplane. About seven months later, the airplane's wreckage was discovered in thick underbrush on a ridge of densely forested hilly terrain. The airplane's left wing had impacted two conifer trees near their tops, resulting in the outboard four feet of the wing separating at that location. The airplane had traveled another 115 feet through the forest, with its wings impacting several other trees, before coming to rest inverted in the underbrush. Examination of the propeller blades and observation of cleanly cut tree sections along the wreckage path revealed evidence of engine rotation at the point of initial impact. A full engine teardown inspection did not reveal any evidence of anomalies that would have existed at the time of the accident and that would have kept the engine from developing full rated horsepower.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.