Taylorcraft BC12-D accident near Broadalbin, New York, December 28, 1986
On December 28, 1986 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D, registered N43239, was substantially damaged in an accident near Broadalbin, New York. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 1986 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Broadalbin, New York
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12-D · all BC12-Ds on the register
- Registration
- N43239 · no longer on the register · serial 6898
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF A TAYLORCRAFT BC-12D EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER WHILE CRUISING. HE SELECTED A FIELD FOR A LANDING, HOWEVER HE WAS SHORT AND STRUCK A TREE ON FINAL. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM SHOWED NO FUEL IN EITHER THE FUEL TANKS OR THE CARBURETOR FLOAT BOWL.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 811 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 757 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,190 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Galway NY at 6:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°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.
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.