Taylorcraft BC12 accident near Topping, Virginia, December 30, 2020
On December 30, 2020 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1946 Taylorcraft BC12, registered N96540, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Topping, Virginia (Hummel Field). 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
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing, with resulted in a ground loop and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 30, 2020 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Topping, Virginia · Hummel Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12 D, built 1946 · all BC12s on the register
- Registration
- N96540 · registry record · serial 8840
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane was practicing a power-off landing to a grass area parallel to a paved runway. The pilot stated that during the landing, the airplane pulled to the right and he was able to compensate for that with the application of hard left rudder. Then the airplane veered hard to the left, and the pilot was unable to correct with application of opposite rudder. The airplane then ground looped and nosed over. The airplane’s right wing, vertical stabilizer, and rudder were substantially damaged during the accident. Postaccident examination of the airplane’s flight controls by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that they operated through their normal range of movement and displayed no binding. Additionally, the airplane’s brakes were tested by the inspector, who found that with the exception that the pedal pressure of the right brake was weaker than that of the left brake, the brakes operated normally with no binding noted. A subsequent examination of the brakes performed by a mechanic found that the right brake pedal return spring was missing and that there was evidence of rubbing at the wheel cylinders at the cable to pin connections. No other issues were noted. Given this information, it is unlikely that any mechanical issues of either the flight control or braking system contributed to the loss of control during landing.
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 control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,441 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 131 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 8,271 as pilot in command; 3,006 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 10, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,460 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 14, 2020; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 2,460 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 2,167 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.44 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KFYJ, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KFYJ 301655Z AUTO 21004KT 10SM CLR 07/M02 A3044 RMK AO1 T00681017
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on July 8, 2021. 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 A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Pilot Email Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Mechanic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photos | 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.
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.