Taylorcraft BC-12 accident near Winner, South Dakota, December 29, 1995
On December 29, 1995 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BC-12, registered N39244, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winner, South Dakota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during takeoff. A factor was the pilot's diversion of his attention to a perceived engine problem.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 1995 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Winner, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC-12 · all BC-12s on the register
- Registration
- N39244 · registry record · serial 6498
- 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 HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE ENGINE STARTED. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB HE FELT THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT GIVING QUITE THE FULL POWER HE EXPECTED. HE TRIED TO CHECK THE MAGNETOS AND CARBURETOR HEAT DURING THE TAKEOFF CLIMB. HE STATED THAT HE WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT HE WAS DOING, AND THAT HE, '...BASICALLY JUST STALLED IT AND SPUN IT INTO THE GROUND.' HE HAD OWNED THE AIRPLANE FOR ABOUT A MONTH, AND HAD 30 HOURS TOTAL TIME IN THE AIRPLANE WHICH INCLUDED 10 HOURS OF DUAL. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE DID NOT USE MORE THAN 100 YARDS DURING THE GROUND RUN, AND THAT THE WING AND TAIL SECTION WERE VIBRATING 'PRETTY ROUGH' DURING THE TAKEOFF FROM THE STUBBLE FIELD. THE AIRPLANE BANKED HARD LEFT, AND THEN CUT BACK HARD TO THE RIGHT BEFORE IT WENT STRAIGHT OVER AND NOSED STRAIGHT IN. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD CLIMBED ABOUT 150 FEET. THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED AND HAD CONTINUITY. THE COMPRESSION CHECKED NORMAL.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 98 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,434 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 1995; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: SD39 Winner Airport SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from VTN, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.