Temco GC 1B accident near Hartsville, Indiana, April 12, 2017
On April 12, 2017 at about 4:50 pm local time, a 1948 Temco GC 1B, registered N2377B, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Hartsville, Indiana (Williams Flying Field 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's loss of control after exceeding the airplane's critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2017 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Hartsville, Indiana · Williams Flying Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Temco GC 1B, built 1948 · all GC 1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2377B · no longer on the register · serial 3677
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident pilot and a friend flew in the friend's airplane to pick up the accident airplane after recent repairs were completed due to a previous ground loop event in 2016. The accident pilot's friend and the mechanic observed the airplane during the takeoff. The airplane accelerated straight and normal and flew "cleanly" off the turf runway. Shortly after rotation, the airplane rolled left until the airplane impacted trees in a near inverted attitude adjacent to the runway. The mechanic stated that he thought the airplane experienced a departure stall during the takeoff. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The witness observations are consistent with the pilot's loss of control after exceeding the airplane's critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in a power-on, aerodynamic departure stall.
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 control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,397 hours in all; 64 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 19, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,624 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 2017; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,975 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360-C (piston); 2,393 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 24IN Hartsville IN at 5:10 pm
- Destination: GEZ Shelbyville IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 3,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.39 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from BAK, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on May 16, 2018. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Record of Conversation - Williams | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement - Williams | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement - Dugdale | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpts of Pilot Logbook | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Excerpts of Airframe Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Excerpts of Engine Records | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Excerpt of Cmi Engine Field Inspection Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Cmi | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.