Taylorcraft BC12-65 accident near Columbia, Tennessee, November 11, 2023
On November 11, 2023 at about 2:15 pm local time, a 1941 Taylorcraft BC12-65, registered N29868, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Columbia, Tennessee (Hunter airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to an accumulation of carburetor ice, resulting in an off-airport landing and substantial damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2023 · about 2:15 pm local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Columbia, Tennessee · Hunter · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12-65, built 1941 · all BC12-65s on the register
- Registration
- N29868 · registry record · serial 2719
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was preparing for takeoff after the engine had been running for about 25 minutes. Before departing, he tested the carburetor heat and noted that it was functioning as expected. He applied power for takeoff and the engine accelerated “strongly and smoothly.” About 25-30 ft above the ground during the initial climb the engine suddenly lost about 1,000 rpm. The pilot elected to perform an off-field landing. He maneuvered to avoid a hedgerow and the airplane touched down in an in an area of high grass. During the landing sequence, the fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged. A postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system did not reveal evidence of a preexisting anomaly or failure that would have precluded normal operation. The temperature/dew point at the time of the accident was in the range for serious carburetor icing at cruise power. While the pilot described checking the functionality of the carburetor heat before as part of his normal preflight checks, and leaving it on for “a little longer” than normal as a part of that process, given all available information, it is likely that the temperature of the carburetor dropped during the extended operation of the engine while on the ground, and that during takeoff, the carburetor accumulated ice to a point that resulted in the partial loss of engine power.
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
- Fuel related during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,753 hours in all; 275 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,519 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 28, 2023
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,567.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 18, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,280 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: KM29 Clifton TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05/2, 2,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.32 inHg
- Observation at 8:10 am from KMRC, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMRC 111410Z AUTO 03006KT 9SM CLR 09/02 A3032 RMK A01
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 6 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Right Wing Damage
Photograph 2 – Main Wreckage
Photograph 3 – No. 4 Top Spark Plug
Photograph 4 – Gascolator Bowl
Photograph 5 – Carburetor Inlet Filter Screen
Photograph 6 – Particulates in Gascolator BowlThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on July 24, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Record of Conversation with Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 7 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 5 | NTSB Examination Summary | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 6 | FAA Saib CE-09-35 Carburetor Icing Prevention | PDF, 3 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
- N29868 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Taylorcraft BC12 BC-12D 1,224 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Taylorcraft 1,896 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental C85-12F 90 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Hunter Airport · nearest airport
- Hassell Field · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Tennessee 1,198 since 1982 · 231 in the last ten years
- Tennessee 6,535 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA24LA032.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.