Taylorcraft BC12 D N43443

Summary

On 10 June 2018 at about 18:00 local time, a Taylorcraft BC12 D registered N43443 was involved in an accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, 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 June 2018 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Teresa, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Dona Ana County International (DNA)

Coordinates

31.8806, -106.7033

Aircraft

Taylorcraft BC12 D

Registration

N43443

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

El Paso → Anthony

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA222

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's loss of directional control during landing in gusting crosswind conditions for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during a touch-and-go landing in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he felt an "unusual mechanical sensation," but was able to maintain directional control and continued the takeoff. During his second landing approach, the airplane “aggressively weathercocked” into the wind on short final approach and the airplane touched down tailwheel first. During the landing roll, the airplane started to veer left, and the pilot was unable to correct with rudder input. The airplane continued off the left side of the runway and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage. After the accident, the pilot noted that the left rudder spring had disconnected from the arm of the steerable tailwheel and the safety wire was missing. The pilot reconnected the spring before the airplane could be examined; whether the tailwheel spring contributed to the loss of control could not be determined. The recorded weather conditions about the time of the accident included a left quartering tailwind at 6 knots with gusts to 13 knots for the landing runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.