Taylorcraft BL-65 accident near Bedford, Pennsylvania, July 14, 1998
On July 14, 1998 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BL-65, registered N27616, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bedford, Pennsylvania (Bedford County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection in which he failed to secure the oil filler cap, and his misjudgment of distance and altitude from the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 1998 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bedford, Pennsylvania · Bedford County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BL-65 · all BL-65s on the register
- Registration
- N27616 · registry record · serial 2258
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot added engine oil before the flight. After takeoff, he noticed oil on the airplane's windshield. He returned to the airport, but reduced power early, landed about 500 feet short of the runway, and struck a fence post. The oil filler cap was found between two cylinders, 4 1/2 quarts of oil were found in the engine, and there was no evidence of any mechanical malfunction. Despite numerous requests, including a subpoena, the pilot did not provide a completed Pilot/Operator Report. The pilot did not have a current medical certificate, nor a current biennial flight review. On his last medical certificate application, in 1993, the pilot reported a total flight time of 920 hours. However, there was no evidence of any flight time since then. There was also no evidence of pilot competency in either normal or emergency procedures, in any aircraft.
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: 920 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 115 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-145B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: B17 at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from PIT, 85 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC98LA143.