Taylorcraft BC12 accident near Readington, New Jersey, June 17, 2019
On June 17, 2019 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1946 Taylorcraft BC12, registered N43766, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Readington, New Jersey (Solberg-Hunterdon airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to land on the mowed turf runway, which resulted in the airplane landing in tall grass and subsequently nosing over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2019 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Readington, New Jersey · Solberg-Hunterdon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12 D, built 1946 · all BC12s on the register
- Registration
- N43766 · no longer on the register · serial 7425
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed two landings on a turf runway and returned for a third approach. The pilot aligned the airplane parallel to the intended runway, about 80 feet to the left of the mowed runway surface. The airplane touched down in dense grass about 3-4 feet tall and travelled about 80 feet before it nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot insisted that the brakes had "locked;" however, examination of the airplane revealed that with the brakes fully applied there was little to no braking action and that the airplane rolled with little to no resistance. The accident is consistent with the airplane nosing over due to the landing in tall grass.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › (general) › Capability exceeded
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Awareness of condition
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 1,555 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,534.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,240 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-8F (piston); 2,765 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N51 Readington NJ at 8:00 pm
- Destination: N51 Readington NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,444 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from SMQ, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N43766 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.