Taylorcraft BC12-D accident near Nome, Alaska, June 1, 2009
On June 1, 2009 at about 3:30 am local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D, registered N94995, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nome, Alaska. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing/takeoff area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2009 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Nome, Alaska · 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
- N94995 · registry record · serial 9395
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was landing a tailwheel airplane at a 400-foot-long, uphill, off-airport site. The pilot noted that the departure end of the site was adjacent to a 500-foot-high ocean bluff cliff. He said that while landing, he inadvertently touched down about 100 feet beyond his intended touchdown point. Realizing he would be unable to stop the airplane before reaching the end of the site, he said he applied heavy braking at the end of the landing roll, and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing, left wing lift strut, and empennage. The pilot said there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and noted in his report to the NTSB that he should have selected a better area to land on.
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
What happened, in order
- 551380 during descent - normal
- 550090 during descent
- 550096 during descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Braking capability › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Contributed to outcome
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, none, none, none
- Flight time: 449 hours in all; 409 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 449 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,455 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, August 1, 2008; 45 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C85 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: OME Nome AK at 9:00 pm
- Destination: Nome AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°C, dew point 0°C
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC09CA049.