Taylorcraft BC12-65 N29868

Summary

On 11 November 2023 at about 14:15 local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-65 registered N29868 was involved in an accident near Columbia, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 November 2023 at 14:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Columbia, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Hunter (06TN)

Coordinates

35.6984, -86.9562

Aircraft

Taylorcraft BC12-65

Registration

N29868

Category

Airplane

Year built

1941

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Clifton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA032

1 person had minor injuries.

A partial loss of engine power due to an accumulation of carburetor ice, resulting in an off-airport landing and substantial damage to the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was preparing for takeoff after the engine had been running for about 25 minutes. Before departing, he tested the carburetor heat and noted that it was functioning as expected. He applied power for takeoff and the engine accelerated “strongly and smoothly.” About 25-30 ft above the ground during the initial climb the engine suddenly lost about 1,000 rpm. The pilot elected to perform an off-field landing. He maneuvered to avoid a hedgerow and the airplane touched down in an in an area of high grass. During the landing sequence, the fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged. A postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system did not reveal evidence of a preexisting anomaly or failure that would have precluded normal operation. The temperature/dew point at the time of the accident was in the range for serious carburetor icing at cruise power. While the pilot described checking the functionality of the carburetor heat before as part of his normal preflight checks, and leaving it on for “a little longer” than normal as a part of that process, given all available information, it is likely that the temperature of the carburetor dropped during the extended operation of the engine while on the ground, and that during takeoff, the carburetor accumulated ice to a point that resulted in the partial loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.