Temco GC-1B accident near Dayton, Tennessee, April 29, 2012
On April 29, 2012 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Temco GC-1B, registered N106S, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Dayton, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power during low-altitude maneuvers for reasons that could not be determined because the engine examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation; however the carburetor was not recovered.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 2012 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dayton, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Temco GC-1B · all GC-1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N106S · no longer on the register · serial 2221
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had recently finished repairing the airplane after an accident 1 year earlier, and the day of the accident was the first time the airplane had been flown since completion of the repairs. The pilot fueled the airplane, completed several local flights uneventfully, including about 8 takeoffs and landings during about 2 hours of flight, and refueled the airplane. The pilot stated that he had been maneuvering at low altitudes in the local area for about 15 minutes, and the airplane was climbing through 500 feet above ground level over a river when the engine developed a slight roughness and lost power, decreasing from 2,300 rpm to 800 rpm. The pilot performed emergency procedures, including the application of carburetor heat, but the engine did not regain power. The pilot subsequently made a forced landing in the river. The wreckage was recovered after 3 days underwater. Examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot believed that flying at low altitude and pulling “2 or 3 g's” might have affected the carburetor; however, the carburetor had separated and was not recovered.
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 maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Ditching during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 557 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 518 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 24, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 3, 2011; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor C-145 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2A0 Dayton TN at 8:15 pm
- Destination: 2A0 Dayton TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from CHA, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N106S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA12LA318.