Taylorcraft DCO-65 accident near Americus, IN
On February 15, 2011, a Taylorcraft DCO-65 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Americus, IN. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 15, 2011
- Place
- Americus, IN
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft DCO-65 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 40.537°N, 86.780°W
- NTSB ID
- 20110217X25346
Official records · CEN11LA194
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On February 15, 2011, approximately 1630 eastern standard time, a Taylorcraft DCO-65 airplane, N46089, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain following a loss of control while maneuvering near Americus, Indiana. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries and passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The local flight departed the Purdue University Airport (LAF), Lafayette, Indiana, at 1608. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who interviewed the passenger, the passenger met the pilot at the airport prior to the local flight. The pilot performed a preflight walk-around inspection and added three gallons of fuel to each wing fuel tank. In addition, the pilot added an unknown amount of oil to the engine. The airplane departed the airport from runway 10 in a eastbound direction and climbed to 1,500 feet. The passenger was unsure whether 1,500 feet was mean sea level or above ground level. The pilot then flew north following a river towards a friend's lake. At some point, the flight headed back in a eastbound direction, when the pilot executed a turn (the passenger did not recall the direction of the turn) back towards the west to return to the airport. During the turn, the pilot stated, "oh my god" and the airplane nose dropped and the airplane descended straight down. The airplane impact
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
More accidents in IN
- Pilatus PC-12, May 25, 2011
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-60, Sep 11, 1992
- Cessna 310N, Nov 20, 1984
- Cessna T303, Nov 14, 2006
- Cessna U206G, Apr 21, 2006
Browse: Indiana · Taylorcraft aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
