Taylorcraft BC12-D accident near Berryville, Texas, August 28, 2011
On August 28, 2011, a Taylorcraft BC12-D, registered N8617, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Berryville, Texas (Paradise Point Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot did not maintain control of the airplane during a forced landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident 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
- August 28, 2011
- Place
- Berryville, Texas · Paradise Point Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12-D · all BC12-Ds on the register
- Registration
- N8617 · no longer on the register · serial 8617
- 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 the airplane experienced a loss of engine power as it was entering the traffic pattern for landing following a 1.5 hour flight. During the forced landing to a field, the airplane stalled about 5 feet above the ground, impacted the ground and came to rest in a nose-down attitude. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal the reason for the loss of engine power. The potential for carburetor icing was not evaluated due to insufficient information.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach (VFR pattern downwind)
- Loss of control in flight during emergency descent defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Inoperative
- factor Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2010
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3TX1 Berryville TX
- Destination: 3TX1 Berryville TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.