Taylorcraft BC12 D accident near Hartford, Wisconsin, February 8, 2014
On February 8, 2014 at about 4:10 pm local time, a 1946 Taylorcraft BC12 D, registered N43955, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Hartford, Wisconsin (Hartford Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and failure to inspect the runway before departure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 8, 2014 · about 4:10 pm local time
- Place
- Hartford, Wisconsin · Hartford Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12 D D, built 1946 · all BC12 Ds on the register
- Registration
- N43955 · registry record · serial 7614
- 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 he was departing to the north from a snow covered grass runway in a ski-equipped tail-wheel airplane. A plowed asphalt runway intersected the snow covered runway, and snowbanks were located on the north and south side of the plowed runway. The pilot reported that during takeoff, the airplane impacted the snowbank on the south side of the asphalt runway and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. The pilot reported that there was no malfunction or system failure of the airplane before 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
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered › Awareness of condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Snow/ice › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 990 hours in all; 950 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 22, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,157 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 23, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 1,280 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: HFX Hartford WI at 4:10 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,259 ft by 215 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; a few clouds
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 1:00 pm
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.