Taylorcraft BL accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, March 5, 2016
On March 5, 2016 at about 6:45 pm local time, a 1939 Taylorcraft BL, registered N22661, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near St. Petersburg, Florida. 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
A partial loss of engine power due to the fatigue fracture of the No. 3 cylinder head stud.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2016 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- St. Petersburg, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BL 65, built 1939 · all BLs on the register
- Registration
- N22661 · registry record · serial 1308
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a cross-county flight in the single-engine airplane when the engine began to run rough. Shortly thereafter, the engine experienced a partial loss of power and the pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a golf course. During the landing, the airplane impacted trees and sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Examination of the engine revealed that two nuts were missing from the No. 3 cylinder head studs, three nuts were loose, and a third stud was fractured. The mostly-flat fracture surface of the stud exhibited features and striations consistent with fatigue, with a shear lip on one side that displayed features consistent with overstress. The fatigue fracture of the No. 3 cylinder head stud led to the loss of engine power and the loosening of several of the other nuts that secured the No. 3 cylinder head to its base.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 182 hours in all; 71 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 78 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 30, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,495 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 8, 2015; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-145B-65 (piston); 3,270 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CGC Crystal River FL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 48X Palmetto FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from SPG, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.