Taylorcraft BC-12D accident near Gerlach, Nevada, August 31, 1997
On August 31, 1997 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BC-12D, registered N4459P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gerlach, Nevada (Fly Ranch airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while attempting a right slip, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1997 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Gerlach, Nevada · Fly Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC-12D · all BC-12Ds on the register
- Registration
- N4459P · no longer on the register · serial 6673
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft collided with the runway and drug the right wing tip during a landing attempt. The aircraft then ground looped to the right off the runway. The pilot stated that the airplane had insufficient power to compensate for an increased sink rate on short final. A witness on the ground saw the wings rocking from side to side when the aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 40 feet, followed by a sudden veer to the left and an increase in sink rate prior to impact with the ground. The passenger, who was not a pilot, reported that 'we were crabbing and I thought he [the pilot] was pulling out' just prior to the ground collision.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 558 hours in all; 485 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 498 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,249 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 5, 1997; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,280 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4SD Stead NV at 3:45 pm
- Destination: NONE NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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.