Taylorcraft BC12-D accident near Palmer, Alaska, September 13, 2023
On September 13, 2023 at about 2:30 am local time, a 1946 Taylorcraft BC12-D, registered N95250, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Palmer, 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 conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall; loss of airplane control; and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 2023 · about 2:30 am local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12-D, built 1946 · all BC12-Ds on the register
- Registration
- N95250 · registry record · serial 9650
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while attempting to climb and turn out of a narrow valley in an area of mountainous terrain, the airplane’s control inputs felt sluggish. Realizing that the airplane might stall, the pilot stopped the turn to avoid a stall but continued to climb to avoid rising terrain ahead. Subsequently, the airplane stalled and impacted terrain, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Climb capability › Attain/maintain not possible
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 156.2 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 28.6 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 97.8 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 11, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 12, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A75-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PABV Chugiak AK at 2:00 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.63 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from PAAQ, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAAQ 130153Z VRB05KT 10SM OVC090 12/05 A2963 RMK AO2 SLP038 T01170050
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N95250 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N95250 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Taylorcraft BC12 BC-12D 1,224 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Taylorcraft 1,896 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental A75-8 18 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Birchwood Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 823 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,144 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N95250 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC23LA077.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.