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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2016 · about 6:45 pm local time · cases in 2016
- 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 other cases naming the engine
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
5 documents, released by the NTSB on October 16, 2020. 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 | Memorandum for Record (FAA Inspector) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Airplane Inspection Records (Excerpts) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N22661 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Taylorcraft BL 13 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Taylorcraft 1,897 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-145B-65 538 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Crystal River/Davis Field · departed from
- Manatee Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 989 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,712 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA16LA123.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.