Taylorcraft BF12 accident near West Linn, Oregon, July 28, 2007
On July 28, 2007 at about 6:48 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BF12, registered N13060, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Linn, Oregon. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The corrosion, fatigue fracture, and subsequent separation of the left wing lift strut attachment fitting. Also causal was the inadequate maintenance and annual inspection by the owner/pilot/mechanic.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2007 · about 6:48 pm local time
- Place
- West Linn, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BF12 · all BF12s on the register
- Registration
- N13060 · no longer on the register · serial 2786
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 67-year-old float equipped Taylorcraft crashed into a river following a wing lift strut separation. A witness reported that it appeared the airplane was going to land; however, just before touchdown it began to ascend and enter a left turn. The witness said that shortly after entering the turn, the airplane's left wing buckled and folded back against the fuselage. The airplane then entered an uncontrolled descent to impact with the water. Visual examination of the fractured wing strut attachment fitting showed substantial corrosion and pitting throughout the assembly. Further examination utilizing a scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed that the left wing strut fitting fractured due to extensive corrosion followed by fatigue cracking. The lower side of the fitting had corrosion pitting that extended from the interior of the fitting completely through the thickness in some areas. The upper side of the fitting was also thinned due to corrosion. Several areas of the fracture surfaces showed oxidation consistent with progressive crack growth over an extended period of time, and fatigue features were found in areas not damaged by rubbing or corrosion. The most recent annual inspection was completed 2 months prior to the accident by the owner, who held an airframe and powerplant technician license. It was not determined which one of the two pilots, an airline transport pilot/certified flight instructor (also the owner of the airplane) seated in the left front seat or the airline transport pilot/certified flight instructor (CFI) seated in the right front seat, was manipulating the flight controls when the accident occurred.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: gyroplane; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,420 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,445 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2007
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3S1 Lake Oswego OR at 6:23 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KPDX, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.