Taylorcraft BF12 accident near Sawyer, Michigan, July 25, 2009
On July 25, 2009 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BF12, registered N36299, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Sawyer, Michigan (Southwest Lakes Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while taking off from a short, grass runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2009 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sawyer, Michigan · Southwest Lakes Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BF12 65 · all BF12s on the register
- Registration
- N36299 · registry record · serial 3217
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot attempted a takeoff on a 1,400-foot-long grass runway and during initial climb the airplane's climb "stagnated." The pilot lowered the nose to increase controllability and speed, but there was no apparent improvement. The airplane descended and impacted terrain, which collapsed the main landing gear and spun the airplane around. The airplane sustained damage to the wing spar and empennage. Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The takeoff weight, which was near the maximum gross weight of the airplane, the lack of a headwind, and the grass runway surface would have negatively affected the airplane's takeoff performance.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 18,422 hours in all; 155 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 11,396 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 25, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,256 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 25, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,280 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Sawyer MI at 4:30 pm
- Destination: Unknown
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.63 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from SAW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.