Taylorcraft BC12-D accident near Trojan, South Dakota, September 7, 2024
On September 7, 2024 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1946 Taylorcraft BC12-D, registered N95078, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Trojan, South Dakota. 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 partial loss of engine power due to a loose magneto and subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2024 · about 4:30 pm local time · cases in 2024
- Place
- Trojan, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12-D, built 1946 · all BC12-Ds on the register
- Registration
- N95078 · registry record · serial 9478
- 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 while enroute the engine sustained a partial loss of power. The pilot attempted to restore engine power by applying carburetor heat, adjusting the mixture, and checking the fuel control valve. The pilot’s troubleshooting efforts were unsuccessful, and the airplane was unable to maintain altitude. The pilot descended into a wooded valley and conducted a forced landing into the treetops. The airplane came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the hold-down nuts on the right magneto were loose, and the magneto could rotate freely by hand. It is likely that the loose magneto detrimentally affected ignition, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power.
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Magneto/distributor › Inadequate inspection other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 705 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 256 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 565 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 7, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,883 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-75-8 (piston); 2,365 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Rapid City SD at 4:00 pm
- Destination: Hulett SD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 am from KSPF, 8 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSPF 071635Z AUTO 04008KT 10SM CLR 22/12 A3019 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures 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
7 documents, released by the NTSB on May 14, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Examination Summary | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum for Record A�� Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Memorandum for Record A�� Mechanic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N95078 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N95078 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Taylorcraft BC12 BC-12D 1,224 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Taylorcraft 1,896 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental A-75-8 18 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in South Dakota 469 since 1982 · 69 in the last ten years
- South Dakota 2,278 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N95078 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN24LA341.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.