Taylorcraft BC12-65 accident near Iliamna, Alaska, April 3, 2006
On April 3, 2006 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-65, registered N36291, was substantially damaged in an accident near Iliamna, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delayed use of carburetor heat, which resulted in a loss of engine power during cruise, and an in-flight collision with snow-covered terrain. Factors associated with the accident were an unfavorable wind, and the pilot's inadvertent stall of the airplane during the emergency descent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 2006 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Iliamna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12-65 · all BC12-65s on the register
- Registration
- N36291 · no longer on the register · serial 3209
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated private pilot reported that while in cruise flight over an area of snow-covered terrain, he noted a rough running engine and a slight reduction in engine rpm. The application of carburetor heat and engine emergency procedures did not remedy the engine roughness, which was followed by a rapid loss of engine power, and subsequent loss of altitude. The pilot said that he was unable to restore adequate engine power to maintain level flight, and he selected a snow-covered plateau as a forced landing site, which required a downwind approach due to terrain features. Just before touch down on the soft, snow-covered terrain, he said the left wing stalled and struck the ground, causing the airplane to cartwheel to the left. The airplane sustained structural damage to the left wing and fuselage. In the pilot's written report to the NTSB, he stated that weather conditions at the time of the accident were, in part: Visibility, 2 miles; clouds and sky condition, 2,000 feet broken; wind, 090 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 35 knots; temperature, 20 degrees F, with light snow showers and blowing snow. In the section of the form that inquires about mechanical malfunction/failure, he wrote: "Carb Icing."
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 164 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 164 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,129.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Iliamna AK at 12:30 pm
- Destination: ILI Iliamna AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 20 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°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.