Taylorcraft DCO-65 accident near Boyne City, Michigan, July 16, 2011
On July 16, 2011 at about 2:48 pm local time, a Taylorcraft DCO-65, registered N50408, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Boyne City, Michigan (Boyne City Municipal 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 pilot failed to maintain airplane control while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in a stall/spin and impact with the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2011 · about 2:48 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Boyne City, Michigan · Boyne City Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft DCO-65 · all DCO-65s on the register
- Registration
- N50408 · no longer on the register · serial 6257
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses saw the airplane flying southbound between their location and the airport's runway. The engine sounded normal and was "not running rough," and the airplane's altitude was between 50 and 75 feet above ground level. One witness stated that the airplane started a left turn and then abruptly pulled up, possibly reacting to a set of nearby power lines. The airplane entered a spin and impacted the road in a nearly vertical, nose-down attitude. The postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies that could be associated with a preimpact condition. The propeller exhibited characteristics indicative of engine power at impact. The pilot had medical conditions that included atrial fibrillation, some degree of bradycardia, depression, and the use of multiple potentially sedating medications. While the pilot was likely medically impaired to some extent, the investigation was unable to determine if that impairment played a role to the accident.
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 (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Prescription medication › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Cardiovascular › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Neurological › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 146 hours in all; 146 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 22, 2010
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 11, 2011; 1,960 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N98 Boyne City MI
- Destination: N98 Boyne City MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from MGN, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
25 documents, released by the NTSB on June 12, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N50408: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Taylorcraft DCO-65 195 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Taylorcraft 1,896 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES · as the NTSB recorded it
- Boyne City Municipal · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Michigan 2,107 since 1982 · 230 in the last ten years
- Michigan 7,236 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN11FA480.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.