Taylorcraft BC-12 accident near Cantwell, Alaska, June 13, 1999
On June 13, 1999 at about 3:30 am local time, a Taylorcraft BC-12, registered N43373, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cantwell, Alaska (Summit 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
A loss of engine power for an undetermined reason.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 1999 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Cantwell, Alaska · Summit · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC-12 · all BC-12s on the register
- Registration
- N43373 · registry record · serial 7032
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was departing a private airport on the continuation of a cross-country flight. He reported the engine power began to decrease, varying from full power to almost none, and the application of carburetor heat produced no change. The engine was not running rough or sputtering, but was not producing enough power to climb above about 100 feet. He made a gentle bank to the left, gradually losing altitude, and made an emergency landing on soft, tundra-covered terrain about 3/4 mile southwest of the airport. During the landing, the landing gear was sheared off, the wing lift struts were bent, and the left wing was bent at the inboard end. The pilot said he always filtered his fuel through a chamois. Prior to his departure on the cross-country flight, he did not find any water in the fuel when he drained his fuel tanks. Following recovery of the airplane, it was inspected by an FAA airworthiness inspector. The inspector reported the carburetor control cables were attached, and operated normally. Fuel was present in the carburetor bowl, and in the lines to the carburetor. About four to five gallons of fuel were present in the header tank. Engine gear train continuity was established. The air filter was unobstructed.
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: 360 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 310 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,080 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 11, 1998; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UMM Summit AK at 10:30 pm
- Destination: Z41 Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 21, 3,840 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°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.
Other NTSB records under N43373 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.