Taylorcraft BF accident near Navasota, Texas, December 26, 2022
On December 26, 2022 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BF, registered N26625, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Navasota, Texas (Navasota Municipal Airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot failed to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 2022 · about 1:30 pm local time · cases in 2022
- Place
- Navasota, Texas · Navasota Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BF · all BFs on the register
- Registration
- N26625 · registry record · serial 1967
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that during landing rollout on the instructional flight with a student pilot, the student pilot lost directional control of the airplane. They attempted to regain control, but the airplane departed the runway. The student pilot then applied the brakes and the airplane nosed over coming to rest inverted in the adjacent field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and engine mount. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident failures of malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 5,300 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 15, 2022
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 30 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 14 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental (piston); 1,400 hours total
- Operator: 96000 Aircraft LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 89TA Waller TX at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,500 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 3 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Observation at 1:35 pm from 11R, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 27, 2023. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Log | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
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
- N26625 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Taylorcraft BF 9 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Taylorcraft 1,897 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental · as the NTSB recorded it
- Navasota Municipal · nearest airport
- Soaring Club Of Houston · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,064 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,966 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN23LA070.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.