Taylorcraft BC12-D accident near Gorham, Maine, April 9, 1989
On April 9, 1989 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D, registered N43561, was destroyed in an accident near Gorham, Maine (Webster Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight 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
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHEN HE DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION DURING A LOW PASS AND ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO ENTER A STALL/SPIN. THE UNFAVORABLE WIND WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 1989 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Gorham, Maine · Webster Airstrip
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12-D · all BC12-Ds on the register
- Registration
- N43561 · no longer on the register · serial 7220
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD HE FLEW TO A NEARBY AIRSTRIP TO WATCH ANOTHER ACFT LAND; HOWEVER, HE (PLT OF N43561) DID NOT PLAN TO LAND. HE SAID HE FLEW AN UPWIND PASS OVER THE STRIP AT APRX 600 TO 700 FT AGL AS HE WATCHED THE OTHER ACFT LAND. THE LOW PASS WAS MADE IN A RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE WHILE USING RUDDER TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE PLT RPRTD THAT AS HE FLEW OVER A GRAVEL PIT NEAR THE STRIP, THE ACFT ENCTRD UNFAVORABLE WIND & NOSED UP. HE PUSHED THE YOKE FOWARD & APPLIED FULL POWER; HOWEVER, THE ACFT BEGAN TO ROTATE (SPIN), THEN IT CRASHED IN A STEEP DSCNT. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND.
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: 420 hours in all; 35 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,625 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 18, 1989; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Limington ME at 9:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 290° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°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.