Taylorcraft DCO-65 accident near Renovo, Pennsylvania, June 7, 2026
On June 7, 2026 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1943 Taylorcraft DCO-65, registered N47123, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Renovo, Pennsylvania. 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 maintain control during an off-airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2026 · about 8:45 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Renovo, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft DCO-65, built 1943 · all DCO-65s on the register
- Registration
- N47123 · registry record · serial 5133
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting an off-airport landing, and during the landing roll out, the tailwheel-equipped airplane contacted a small dip. The pilot stated that airplane then bounced and started to porpoise. During one of the bounces, the tailwheel contacted another small dip, after which the tail of airplane raised and the propeller contacted the ground resulting in a nose over. The airplane came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage to the spar, fuselage, and rudder. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,523.4 hours in all; 361.6 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 26, 2025
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2026
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85 (piston); 2,220 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FIG Clearfield PA at 8:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from KFIG, 30 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KFIG 072054Z AUTO 34012G17KT 10SM SCT065 26/12 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP139 T02610122 55000=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The 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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 11, 2026. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | 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
- N47123 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Taylorcraft DCO-65 195 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Taylorcraft 1,896 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental C85 4,672 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Clearfield-Lawrence Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Pennsylvania 1,836 since 1982 · 234 in the last ten years
- Pennsylvania 6,195 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA26LA245.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.