Taylorcraft BCS 12-65 accident near Odessa, Texas, July 5, 1983
On July 5, 1983 at about 1:00 am local time, a Taylorcraft BCS 12-65, registered N1776B, was destroyed in an accident near Odessa, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 1983 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Odessa, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BCS 12-65 · all BCS 12-65s on the register
- Registration
- N1776B · registry record · serial 10388
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH WIRES AND THE GROUND DURING RECOVERY FROM AN AEROBATIC MANEUVER. THE PLT HAD DONE WHAT APPEARED TO BE A MANEUVER SIMILIAR TO A HAMMERHEAD STALL SHORTLY AFTER FIRST TAKEOFF. THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE RECOVERING AS IT 'BOTTOMED OUT' AT ABOUT 50 FT AGL ACCORDING TO A WITNESS WHO THEN SAW A FLASH WHEN THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH POWERLINES.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 9 knots, gusting 1
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 102°F (39°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW83FA313.