Taylorcraft BC-65 accident near Sibley, Iowa, June 15, 2023
On June 15, 2023 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1939 Taylorcraft BC-65, registered N23679, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Sibley, Iowa (Sibley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed on final approach resulting in the airplane inadvertently exceeding the critical angle of attack and entering an inadvertent aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 2023 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sibley, Iowa · Sibley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC-65, built 1939 · all BC-65s on the register
- Registration
- N23679 · registry record · serial 1413
- 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 during an extended final approach, the “bottom fell out” and the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall. The pilot was unable to recover before the airplane touched down short of the runway. The left main landing gear collapsed during the hard landing, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 in flight during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Hard landing during landing
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 511 hours in all; 423 in this make and model; 500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 10, 2023
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 3,765 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OTG Worthington MN at 4:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17/3, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 am from KSHL, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSHL 151635Z AUTO 24005KT 10SM CLR 29/11 A2975 RMK AO2=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 17, 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� FAA Email | PDF, 1 page | 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.