Taylorcraft BC12-D1 accident near Pittsboro, North Carolina, June 3, 2022
On June 3, 2022 at about 3:15 pm local time, a 1946 Taylorcraft BC12-D1, registered N44374, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Pittsboro, North Carolina. It was an instructional 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 student pilot, and flight instructor’s, inadequate preflight inspection, during which they failed to detect water contamination in the fuel system, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2022 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Pittsboro, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12-D1, built 1946 · all BC12-D1s on the register
- Registration
- N44374 · registry record · serial 10174
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot, and his flight instructor, were on a local training flight practicing maneuvers. Shortly after the student transferred fuel from the wing tanks to the main fuel tank, the engine lost all power. Unable to restart the engine, they performed a forced landing to a wheat field. During the landing, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination of the airplane revealed water and corrosion present in the fuel gascolator. The night before the accident the airplane was parked outside, and it had rained. The student pilot reported that as part of his preflight, he drained the sump at the bottom of the engine but did not drain the wing fuel sumps. The flight instructor reported that he was not familiar with the airplane and the location of the fuel sumps.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Fuel contamination during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 237.2 hours in all; 88.5 in this make and model; 62.5 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 73.5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 8.1 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,052 as pilot in command; 44 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 12, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,483 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 13, 2021; 80 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continential A&C 65 (piston); 1,483 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TTA Sanford NC at 2:15 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from TTA, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KTTA 031555Z AUTO 34005KT 10SM CLR 26/18 A2986 RMK AO2 T02620178
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 2024. 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 | Flight Instructor Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 4 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.