This June 2009 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Taylorcraft BC12-D. Injuries: None. Location: Somerville, N.J. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land on runway 12. The winds at the time of the accident were 080° at five knots. The airplane touched down and began to veer to the right. Attempts to maintain directional control were unsuccessful. The airplane went off the right side of the runway and crashed into a plastic storage container and a parked airplane.
During the examination of the wreckage, a FAA inspector found that the forward clevis fitting and attaching hardware were missing from the left hand tailwheel centering spring. This caused the airplane to be uncontrollable. The clevis fitting and attaching hardware were not recovered.
Probable cause: The loss of directional control during the landing roll due to the separation of the tailwheel centering spring for an undetermined reason.
For more information: NTSB.gov. NTSB identification: ERA09CA336.
