Taylorcraft BC12D accident near Roxbury, Maine, January 28, 1990
On January 28, 1990 at about 4:38 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BC12D, registered N44068, was destroyed in an accident near Roxbury, Maine. 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
PILOT FACTOR IN THAT HE FAILED TO PLAN THE APPROACH FOR GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS AND IMPACTED TREES SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 28, 1990 · about 4:38 pm local time
- Place
- Roxbury, Maine
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12D · all BC12Ds on the register
- Registration
- N44068 · registry record · serial 9868
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER STATED THAT IT WAS VERY BUMPY ON THE RETURN FLIGHT. WITH AN AIRSPEED OF ABOUT 80 KNOTS AND 300 FEET FROM THE END OF THE FIELD, THE AIRCRAFT HIT A LARGE GUST OF WIND WHICH PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT DOWNWARD. THE PILOT PUSHED THE POWER FORWARD, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT HIT A TREE, THE PILOT CUT THE POWER AND LET IT SETTLE INTO THE TREES.
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: 966 hours in all; 210 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,280 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Unknown UNKNOWN (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Roxbury ME at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 25 knots, gusting 15
- Sky: 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.