Taylorcraft BC12 accident near Commerce, Georgia, May 21, 2018
On May 21, 2018 at about 11:10 pm local time, a 1946 Taylorcraft BC12, registered N94909, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Commerce, Georgia (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to effectively mitigate an accumulation of carburetor ice, which resulted in an undetected partial loss of engine power and an aerodynamic stall during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 2018 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Commerce, Georgia · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12 D, built 1946 · all BC12s on the register
- Registration
- N94909 · no longer on the register · serial 9309
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot departed on a visual flight rules local flight. A witness saw the pilot conduct a preflight inspection of the accident airplane and depart on a 10-minute flight. When the airplane returned to the airstrip to land, the witness heard the engine rpm "going up and down." After the airplane landed, the pilot began taxiing toward the hangar but then taxied back to the runway for another takeoff. The witness stated that the airplane reached an altitude between about 50 and 75 ft above the runway with the engine sputtering. At that time, the airplane seemed to slow and was just above the trees when the right wing and then the nose dropped, which was followed by an impact with trees. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The weather conditions near the accident site at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at descent engine power settings. Given that these conditions existed, and that the witness reported the engine rpm may have been fluctuating during the airplane's previous landing approach, it is likely that carburetor ice accumulated during the prior descent and possibly the taxi period that followed prior to the accident takeoff. The undetected partial loss of power during the accident takeoff ultimately led to an aerodynamic stall from which the pilot was unable to recover.
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 initial climb defining event
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,366 hours in all
- Last flight review: March 28, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 17, 2017; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N/A Commerce GA at 10:50 pm
- Destination: N/A Commerce GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 1,900 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from KAHN, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on January 24, 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 | Witness Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Logbooks | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Wreckage Diagrams | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicological Report | 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.
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.