Taylorcraft BC12 - D N44335 accident near Burnet, Texas

Probable cause

The flight instructor’s failure to adequately supervise the student pilot and his decision to conduct training in an airplane without dual brakes, which resulted in the student pilot’s loss of directional control during initial taxi and subsequent impact with another airplane.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to practice takeoffs and landings. The flight instructor occupied the right seat, and the student occupied the left seat, which was the only position from which the brakes could be controlled. The flight was the sixth instructional flight for the student in the airplane (for a total flight time of 5.7 hours) and the first flight during which he occupied the left seat.

The student reported that he applied engine power to begin a taxi and that the airplane then veered left. As the airplane began to veer, the flight instructor told the student to apply right brake and to retard the engine throttle. The flight instructor turned the magneto switch off, and the airplane's left wing then struck a parked airplane. If the accident airplane had been equipped with dual brakes, it is possible that the flight instructor would have stopped the airplane.

The student stated that he failed to get his right foot from the rudder to the brake in a "timely manner" and that, in his "confusion," he did not retard the engine throttle. The student stated that, during the attempted recovery, it was still hard for him to understand/coordinate the use of the throttle control and control wheel, thinking that the control wheel acted like a car steering wheel in turning the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN14LA446 for the full record.