Taylorcraft BC12-D accident near Greenville, Pennsylvania, December 12, 1998
On December 12, 1998 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D, registered N43778, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenville, Pennsylvania (Greenville Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during touch-and-go landing, and his failure to maintain obstacle clearance. A factor was the tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 1998 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, Pennsylvania · Greenville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC12-D · all BC12-Ds on the register
- Registration
- N43778 · no longer on the register · serial 7437
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness reported that the student pilot had been in the traffic pattern for 15 - 20 minutes during his second flight of the day. A second witness, who was in the pattern at the time of the accident, reported seeing the aircraft touch down in a grassy landing area to the right of, and parallel to, paved runway 15. It then veered left, crossed runway 15, and continued towards a large briar patch and an intersecting turf runway, during which the aircraft entered a steep, climbing left turn. The witness reported that he then observed the aircraft nose drop, and 'go over.' A third (ground) witness reported seeing the aircraft cross over the briar patch and make a climbing left turn which was described as 'not excessively steep', and with the angle of bank of at least 25 degrees. This was followed by the aircraft leveling off, and then impacting trees. This witness reported the winds as calm. On site examination revealed that the aircraft first encountered trees approximately 10 feet below the 70 foot high tops, and the wreckage distribution progressed toward 030 degrees magnetic to ground impact. There was no evidence of pre-impact control or engine malfunction. The student pilot had 109 total flight hours. He had some initial flight training in 1944, then began flying again in 1995.
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: student
- Flight time: 109 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,317 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 30, 1998; 14 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4G1 PA at 8:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 1,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 23,000 ft; scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from YNG, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N43778 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.