Taylorcraft BC12 accident near Sedona, Arizona, June 2, 2019
On June 2, 2019 at about 6:50 pm local time, a 1946 Taylorcraft BC12, registered N44249, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Sedona, Arizona (Sedona 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
The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 2019 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Sedona, Arizona · Sedona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12 D, built 1946 · all BC12s on the register
- Registration
- N44249 · registry record · serial 10049
- 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 reported that, while landing, the airplane encountered a wind gust, and the tail started to rise. The pilot corrected by pulling the yoke "fully back," but subsequently, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 30 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 160° at 14 knots, gusting to 23 knots. The pilot was landing the airplane on runway 21.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 690 hours in all; 73 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 690 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 11, 2019
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,619.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 21, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-8 (piston); 4,256 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: A39 Maricopa AZ at 4:50 pm
- Destination: SEZ Sedona AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 5,132 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 14 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:20 pm from KSEZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 18, 2019. 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 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | 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.