Taylorcraft BC12-D accident near Anchorage, Alaska, December 8, 2003
On December 8, 2003 at about 12:56 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D, registered N44047, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Lake Hood Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudged altitude during final approach, which resulted in an undershot landing, and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 2003 · about 12:56 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Lake Hood Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12-D · all BC12-Ds on the register
- Registration
- N44047 · registry record · serial 9847
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo private certificated pilot was landing a wheel-equipped airplane during dark night light conditions. The pilot reported that while landing on a lighted, 2,200 foot long by 70 foot wide snow-covered, gravel airstrip, he inadvertently touched down in the overrun area, about 50 feet short of the runway's threshold. As the airplane's main wheels touched down in the deep snow that covered the overrun area, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained structural damage to the rudder.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,027 hours in all; 123 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 928 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 13, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,501.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 22, 2003; 29.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Z41 Anchorage AK at 12:53 pm
- Destination: Z41 AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 2,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 040° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.