Taylorcraft BC12-D accident near Mobile, Alabama, July 20, 1991
On July 20, 1991 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D, registered N96802, was destroyed in an accident near Mobile, Alabama (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AND HIS SUBSEQUENT INADVERTENT STALL DURING HIS ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. A FACTOR WAS THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1991 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mobile, Alabama · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12-D · all BC12-Ds on the register
- Registration
- N96802 · no longer on the register · serial 9102
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD TAXIED ON THE RUNWAY, AT HIGH SPEED, SEVERAL TIMES. A TAKEOFF WAS THEN MADE, AND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT HAD CLIMBED TO ABOUT 200 FEET, ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TURNED BACK TOWARD THE RUNWAY, ENTERED A NOSE DIVE, AND COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN IN A VERTICAL NOSE DOWN POSITION. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT, WHO WAS NOT A LICENSED MECHANIC, HAD RECENTLY REPLACED THE CARBURETOR. THE FUEL ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS AN AUTOMOTIVE TYPE FUEL, AND NO EVIDENCE OF A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE FOR THE USE OF AUTOMOTIVE FUEL COULD BE FOUND. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF ROTATIONAL DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, AND THE THROTTLE WAS FOUND IN THE IDLE POSITION.
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: 200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:20 pm from MOB, 4 miles away
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.